Podcasts about ptolemies

5/8: The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra Hardcover – April 8, 2025 by  Toby Wilkinson  (Author) PTOLEMY MAP OF EGYPT https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dynasty-Ancient-Alexander-Cleopatra/dp/1324052031 Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives―the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BC)―is little known. In The Last Dynasty, New York Times best-selling author Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era, bringing to life three centuries' worth of extraordinary moments and charismatic figures. Macedonian in origin and Greek-speaking, the Ptolemies presided over the final flourishing of pharaonic civilization. Wilkinson describes the extraordinary cultural reach displayed at the height of their power: how they founded new cities, including Alexandria, their great seaside residence and commercial capital; mined gold in the furthest reaches of Nubia; built spectacular new temples that are among the foremost architectural wonders of the Nile Valley; and created a dazzling civilization that produced astonishing works of sculpture, architecture, and literature. Stunningly, he also shows how such expansionist ambitions led to the era's downfall. The Ptolemaic period was a time when ancient Egypt turned its gaze westward―in the process becoming the unwitting handmaid to the inexorable rise of Rome and the consequent loss of Egyptian independence. Featuring a superb blend of first-rate scholarship and evocative narrative history, The Last Dynastyprovides fresh insights into this overlooked period of history and its legacy in shaping the world as we know it.

1/8: The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra Hardcover – April 8, 2025 by  Toby Wilkinson  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dynasty-Ancient-Alexander-Cleopatra/dp/1324052031 Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives―the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BC)―is little known. In The Last Dynasty, New York Times best-selling author Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era, bringing to life three centuries' worth of extraordinary moments and charismatic figures. Macedonian in origin and Greek-speaking, the Ptolemies presided over the final flourishing of pharaonic civilization. Wilkinson describes the extraordinary cultural reach displayed at the height of their power: how they founded new cities, including Alexandria, their great seaside residence and commercial capital; mined gold in the furthest reaches of Nubia; built spectacular new temples that are among the foremost architectural wonders of the Nile Valley; and created a dazzling civilization that produced astonishing works of sculpture, architecture, and literature. Stunningly, he also shows how such expansionist ambitions led to the era's downfall. The Ptolemaic period was a time when ancient Egypt turned its gaze westward―in the process becoming the unwitting handmaid to the inexorable rise of Rome and the consequent loss of Egyptian independence. Featuring a superb blend of first-rate scholarship and evocative narrative history, The Last Dynastyprovides fresh insights into this overlooked period of history and its legacy in shaping the world as we know it. 1907

3/8: The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra Hardcover – April 8, 2025 by  Toby Wilkinson  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dynasty-Ancient-Alexander-Cleopatra/dp/1324052031 Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives―the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BC)―is little known. In The Last Dynasty, New York Times best-selling author Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era, bringing to life three centuries' worth of extraordinary moments and charismatic figures. Macedonian in origin and Greek-speaking, the Ptolemies presided over the final flourishing of pharaonic civilization. Wilkinson describes the extraordinary cultural reach displayed at the height of their power: how they founded new cities, including Alexandria, their great seaside residence and commercial capital; mined gold in the furthest reaches of Nubia; built spectacular new temples that are among the foremost architectural wonders of the Nile Valley; and created a dazzling civilization that produced astonishing works of sculpture, architecture, and literature. Stunningly, he also shows how such expansionist ambitions led to the era's downfall. The Ptolemaic period was a time when ancient Egypt turned its gaze westward―in the process becoming the unwitting handmaid to the inexorable rise of Rome and the consequent loss of Egyptian independence. Featuring a superb blend of first-rate scholarship and evocative narrative history, The Last Dynastyprovides fresh insights into this overlooked period of history and its legacy in shaping the world as we know it. 1920 CAIRO

4/8: The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra Hardcover – April 8, 2025 by  Toby Wilkinson  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dynasty-Ancient-Alexander-Cleopatra/dp/1324052031 Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives―the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BC)―is little known. In The Last Dynasty, New York Times best-selling author Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era, bringing to life three centuries' worth of extraordinary moments and charismatic figures. Macedonian in origin and Greek-speaking, the Ptolemies presided over the final flourishing of pharaonic civilization. Wilkinson describes the extraordinary cultural reach displayed at the height of their power: how they founded new cities, including Alexandria, their great seaside residence and commercial capital; mined gold in the furthest reaches of Nubia; built spectacular new temples that are among the foremost architectural wonders of the Nile Valley; and created a dazzling civilization that produced astonishing works of sculpture, architecture, and literature. Stunningly, he also shows how such expansionist ambitions led to the era's downfall. The Ptolemaic period was a time when ancient Egypt turned its gaze westward―in the process becoming the unwitting handmaid to the inexorable rise of Rome and the consequent loss of Egyptian independence. Featuring a superb blend of first-rate scholarship and evocative narrative history, The Last Dynastyprovides fresh insights into this overlooked period of history and its legacy in shaping the world as we know it. 1900 PORT SUEZ

2/8: The Last Dynasty: Ancient Egypt from Alexander the Great to Cleopatra Hardcover – April 8, 2025 by  Toby Wilkinson  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Last-Dynasty-Ancient-Alexander-Cleopatra/dp/1324052031 Alexander the Great and Cleopatra may be two of the most famous figures from the ancient world, but the Egyptian era bookended by their lives―the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BC)―is little known. In The Last Dynasty, New York Times best-selling author Toby Wilkinson unravels the incredible story of this turbulent era, bringing to life three centuries' worth of extraordinary moments and charismatic figures. Macedonian in origin and Greek-speaking, the Ptolemies presided over the final flourishing of pharaonic civilization. Wilkinson describes the extraordinary cultural reach displayed at the height of their power: how they founded new cities, including Alexandria, their great seaside residence and commercial capital; mined gold in the furthest reaches of Nubia; built spectacular new temples that are among the foremost architectural wonders of the Nile Valley; and created a dazzling civilization that produced astonishing works of sculpture, architecture, and literature. Stunningly, he also shows how such expansionist ambitions led to the era's downfall. The Ptolemaic period was a time when ancient Egypt turned its gaze westward―in the process becoming the unwitting handmaid to the inexorable rise of Rome and the consequent loss of Egyptian independence. Featuring a superb blend of first-rate scholarship and evocative narrative history, The Last Dynastyprovides fresh insights into this overlooked period of history and its legacy in shaping the world as we know it. 1908

We look at the division of Alexander the Great's empire. Then we discuss how the Jews lived under the Seleucids and Ptolemies.

Guy de la Bédoyère - The Fall of Egypt and the Rise of Rome: A History of the Ptolemies...with TRE's Giles Brown

While the name "Cleopatra" often conjures images of the famed Egyptian queen (Cleopatra VII), we're venturing even further back in time to uncover the captivating story of Cleopatra Syra, Cleopatra I. First, a princess of the vast Seleucid Empire, her life was a tapestry woven with political intrigue, familial strife, and a relentless pursuit of power once she was married off to the Ptolemies as a political pawn. Often overshadowed by her more renowned namesake, Cleopatra Syra's story is an incredible one: resilience, ambition, and the complexities of ruling in a world dominated by men. Join us on this episode of History for Weirdos as we shed light on this enigmatic figure. We'll explore her pivotal role in the Ptolemaic dynasty, her strategic marriages, and the challenges she faced navigating a court rife with conspiracies and betrayals. From her early years as a pawn in political games to her later reign marked by both triumphs and tragedies, Cleopatra Syra's life offers a fascinating glimpse into the often-overlooked corners of Hellenistic Egypt. - Thank you for listening Weirdos! Show the podcast some love by rating & subscribing on whichever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Your support means so much to us. Let's stay in touch

Daniel Chapters 10-12: Final Visions and Prophetic ChaosIn this special Q&A episode of Sacrilegious Discourse, husband and wife team take on the final, bewildering chapters of Daniel—Chapters 10, 11, and 12. Join us as we dive deep into the chaotic visions, historical contexts, and the perplexing prophecies that make up Daniel's final vision. Buckle up for a wild ride through ancient history and apocalyptic predictions!We start by recapping the final vision given to Daniel in Chapter 10, where he mourns for three weeks and encounters a shiny celestial being. We discuss the possible reasons for Daniel's mourning, including the few Jews who returned from exile and the opposition faced in rebuilding the temple. We also delve into the identity of the mysterious man in linen, speculating whether he could be an angel, Jesus, or another divine entity.In Chapter 11, we navigate through the intricate power struggles between the kings of the North (Syria) and the South (Egypt). This chapter is a rollercoaster of alliances, betrayals, and wars, all while the Jews are caught in the middle. We break down the historical context, shedding light on figures like Antiochus Epiphanes and the Ptolemies, and how these prophecies were likely written centuries after the events they supposedly predict.Finally, in Chapter 12, we explore the "time of the end," where Daniel's vision culminates in a resurrection, a final judgment, and the ultimate triumph of God's people. We question the origins of these apocalyptic visions and their impact on modern religious beliefs, from the concept of the Antichrist to the idea of an ineffable divine plan.From discussing the absurdity of forced prophecies to the intriguing yet baffling historical context, we dissect these chapters with our signature blend of skepticism and humor. Whether you're here for the theological critique or just the laughs, this episode has a bit of everything.Visit us at: SACRILEGIOUSDISCOURSE.COM and join us on Discord, where we interact the most AND have live episodes every Wednesday: https://discord.gg/VBnyTYV6nC Join Acast+ to enjoy our podcast adfree! https://plus.acast.com/s/sacrilegiousiscourse. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Help keep our podcast going by contributing to our Patreon! The Lighthouse of Alexandria became iconic in both the ancient and medieval worlds. People began to call it ‘The Pharos,” after the island it stood on. It changed drastically over the years—and so has what it represented. It was built during the reign of the Ptolemies in Egypt, and stood for about 1,600 years. In that time it came to represent a beacon of light and learning. But it also represented other, darker things. And looking back at it today—trying to glean its picture—is like looking through a clouded mirror. Join us as we try to unpack the mystery of the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Sponsors and Advertising This podcast is a member of Airwave Media podcast network. Want to advertise on our show? Please direct advertising inquiries to advertising@airwavemedia.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know Cleopatra, but do you know all seven of them? Despite the fame of one name, the history of “Cleopatra” crosses three centuries and a long lineage of accomplished women. Frequently taking up power and responsibilities far beyond their more famous husbands (the Ptolemies), the seven Cleopatras of Egypt (and even more in the wider Hellenistic world) are worthy of greater attention and respect. In this interview, Prof. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones of Cardiff University introduces these figures and his new book The Cleopatras: Forgotten Queens of Egypt. Author details: Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, The Cleopatras, 2024. Available in hardback, paperback, ebook, and audiobook (read by the author). See Headline Publishing and all good retailers. Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones at Cardiff University and Academia.edu. Rulers discussed in this episode: Cleopatra I Syra: Wikipedia. Cleopatra III: Wikipedia. Cleopatra Thea of the Seleukid Empire: Wikipedia. Cleopatra VI Tryphaena: Wikipedia. Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator: Wikipedia. The History of Egypt Podcast: Website: www.egyptianhistorypodcast.com. Support the show via Patreon www.patreon.com/egyptpodcast. Make a one-time donation via PayPal payments. Music by Michael Levy www.ancientlyre.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Rhabarberbarbara” Daniel 11:2-45 by William Klock On Wednesday a friend at the pool stopped me and asked if I'd watch a video on her phone and tell her what it was about.  It was in German and she didn't understand.  So she hit “play” and two men started singing and I laughed.  I said, “It's ‘Rhabarberbarbara' and they've set it to music.  “Rhabarberbarbara” is a German tongue twister poem.  Imagine “She sell seashells down by the seashore”, but it's all ba…ba…ba sounds, and with each stanza the tongue twisting part gets longer.  Barabara opens a bar to sell her rhubarb cake: Barbaras rhabarberbar”.  But pretty soon bald, bearded barbarians in need of a barber show up.  It's a funny poem and it's hard to say, but these two guys set it to music and sang the whole thing perfectly.  My friend said she liked how catchy it was, but had no idea what it meant.  I laughed, because this is how the Greeks came up with the word “barbarian” for foreigners.  Their languages just sounded like “Bar…bar…bar”.  If you don't know the language, your ear hears the repetitive sounds, but you have no idea what any of it means.  Imagine hearing “She sells seashells down by the sea shore” if you didn't speak English.  It's just rhyming repetitive gibberish. As I was walking away I started thinking how this is a metaphor for how a lot of people might hear Daniel 11, which is what we come to today.  It's the longest chapter in the book and most of it describes a long conflict between the King of the North and the King of the South.  The actual kings are never named.  The places involved aren't named.  It goes on and on, back and forth between north and south.  In this case the language is history, not German, but if you don't know the language it's not that different than my friend listening to that German tongue twister that's all bar…bar…bar.  It's just repetitive gibberish. But if you know the history, Chapter 11 describes the historical events that were whirling around Judah from the time of Daniel in the Sixth Century up to the 160s BC.  If you know the history a story emerges from the Rhubarberbarbara.  That said, knowing all the historical details isn't the important thing you need to take away.  I'll give you the big picture and skip the nitty-gritty.  If you want to know all the details, the actual historical events are well documented and you can look them up in a history book or Wikipedia.  If you've got an ESV Study Bible, it's all there with nifty maps and genealogies and historical outlines. But before we get into that, remember the lesson from Chapter 10.  That was the first part of this vision.  The lesson from that first part is that there's more going on than what we can see.  Daniel was frustrated and discouraged by earthly circumstances and—as we'll see—things weren't going to get any better.  It's easy to lose hope.  But the angel explained to him that the battles he saw being fought by kings on earth corresponded to battles being fought in the heavenlies.  The point of knowing this isn't to burden us with some new responsibility—as if there's something we can do to win those battles in the heavenlies.  Just the opposite.  Those battles in the heavenlies are not our responsibility.  Apart maybe from praying, there's nothing we can do to assist the angels.  God has given us things to do and battles to wage in our sphere and he and his heavenly forces will do battle in their sphere.  And the point is that we should find hope in that.  The battle here may feel hopeless.  But knowing that God fights a battle in the heavenlies that somehow corresponds to the one we fight here and that the outcome in the heavenlies corresponds to the outcome here—that should inspire hope to stand firm, to keep the faith, and to fight the good fight. Knowing that, the vision now continues with a summary of historical events.  Let's start with verses 2-4. “And now I will show you the truth. Behold, three more kings shall arise in Persia, and a fourth shall be far richer than all of them. And when he has become strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece. Then a mighty king shall arise, who shall rule with great dominion and do as he wills. And as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven, but not to his posterity, nor according to the authority with which he ruled, for his kingdom shall be plucked up and go to others besides these.   There were more than four Persian kings following the time of Daniel.  This “three and a fourth” is a Hebrew way of talking about all the things.  We see it in Proverbs: “There are six things the Lord hates and a seventh is an abomination to him.”  The Lord hates more than seven things, but these seven are representative of all the things the Lord hates.  Just so with these four Persian kings.  The point is that the Persian empire will get bigger and bigger, richer and richer, more power and more powerful and eventually—and this is what happened historically—it will go up against Greece and be defeated.  Xerxes I invaded Greek territory.  He was defeated and that started a century of conflict that ended with the defeat of Persia by Alexander the Great.  And mighty Alexander, who like the beasts of earlier chapters rampaged and did what he willed—or so he thought—he fell almost as soon as he arose.  Alexander conquered the known world in fifteen years and suddenly died of a fever at the age of 32.  His generals fought over his empire and eventually divided it up four ways.  Two of those successor kingdoms would have a profound influence on the land of Judah: the Seleucid kingdom based in Syria—the King of the North—and the Ptolemaic kingdom based in Egypt—the King of the South.  That's the setup for the rest of the chapter, which rushes through about 160 years of the history that follows.  The Seleucid kings were Seleucus I-IV followed by Antiochus I-IV.  The Egyptian kings are easy: They were all named Ptolemy—Ptolemy I-VI.  (Actually there eventually thirteen Antiochuses and fifteen Ptolemies, the last being the son of Julius Caesar and Cleopatra VII.) Verses 5 to 20 move quickly through the first five Ptolemies, the first four Seleucuses, and the first three Antiochuses.  Fifteen verses sweep us through history from about 320BC to 175BC.  Here's the text: “Then the king of the south shall be strong, but one of his princes shall be stronger than he and shall rule, and his authority shall be a great authority. After some years they shall make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the strength of her arm, and he and his arm shall not endure, but she shall be given up, and her attendants, he who fathered her, and he who supported her in those times.   “And from a branch from her roots one shall arise in his place. He shall come against the army and enter the fortress of the king of the north, and he shall deal with them and shall prevail. He shall also carry off to Egypt their gods with their metal images and their precious vessels of silver and gold, and for some years he shall refrain from attacking the king of the north. Then the latter shall come into the realm of the king of the south but shall return to his own land.   “His sons shall wage war and assemble a multitude of great forces, which shall keep coming and overflow and pass through, and again shall carry the war as far as his fortress. Then the king of the south, moved with rage, shall come out and fight against the king of the north. And he shall raise a great multitude, but it shall be given into his hand. And when the multitude is taken away, his heart shall be exalted, and he shall cast down tens of thousands, but he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall again raise a multitude, greater than the first. And after some years he shall come on with a great army and abundant supplies.   “In those times many shall rise against the king of the south, and the violent among your own people shall lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they shall fail. Then the king of the north shall come and throw up siegeworks and take a well-fortified city. And the forces of the south shall not stand, or even his best troops, for there shall be no strength to stand. But he who comes against him shall do as he wills, and none shall stand before him. And he shall stand in the glorious land, with destruction in his hand. He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and he shall bring terms of an agreement and perform them. He shall give him the daughter of women to destroy the kingdom, but it shall not stand or be to his advantage. Afterward he shall turn his face to the coastlands and shall capture many of them, but a commander shall put an end to his insolence. Indeed, he shall turn his insolence back upon him. Then he shall turn his face back toward the fortresses of his own land, but he shall stumble and fall, and shall not be found.   “Then shall arise in his place one who shall send an exactor of tribute for the glory of the kingdom. But within a few days he shall be broken, neither in anger nor in battle.   If that makes as much sense as “Rhabarberbarbara”, that's okay.  If you know the history this maps right on to it, but if you don't, all you really need to know is that this describes about a century and a half of the kings of Egypt and Syria fighting with each other.  And that's important because of what's right between Egypt and Syria.  Picture a map in your head.  What's between Egypt and Syria?  That's right: Judah.  Judah sat on the crossroads of the ancient world and so it went back and forth between Egypt and Syria and eventually many of the Jews themselves got caught up in the politics and the intrigue.  Some of them thought that by siding with these pagan kings they were fulfilling God's purpose.  Again, when we see things happening in the world around us—the things we can see—it's easy to get caught up in them, it's easy to compromise our faith and our values and what's right.  But Daniel reminds us that there's more going on than what we can see with our eyes.  Things are never truly hopeless for God's people, because God is ultimately in control and because his angels fight for us.  We need to remember that as things get worse, and get worse they did for little Judah, caught in the middle of all this. Verse 20 describes the Syrian King, Seleucus IV Philopater.  He sent a “tax collector”, a man by the name of Heliodorus, to collect the money needed to pay tribute to Rome, which was now involved in the intrigue.  Heliodorus tried to plunder the temple in Jerusalem, but had a nightmare that put him off the idea.  Instead, Heliodorus poisoned the king, Seleucus IV.  That opened the door to the real terror.  Look at verses 21-35: In his place shall arise a contemptible person to whom royal majesty has not been given. He shall come in without warning and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. Armies shall be utterly swept away before him and broken, even the prince of the covenant. And from the time that an alliance is made with him he shall act deceitfully, and he shall become strong with a small people. Without warning he shall come into the richest parts of the province, and he shall do what neither his fathers nor his fathers' fathers have done, scattering among them plunder, spoil, and goods. He shall devise plans against strongholds, but only for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south with a great army. And the king of the south shall wage war with an exceedingly great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for plots shall be devised against him. Even those who eat his food shall break him. His army shall be swept away, and many shall fall down slain. And as for the two kings, their hearts shall be bent on doing evil. They shall speak lies at the same table, but to no avail, for the end is yet to be at the time appointed. And he shall return to his land with great wealth, but his heart shall be set against the holy covenant. And he shall work his will and return to his own land.   “At the time appointed he shall return and come into the south, but it shall not be this time as it was before. For ships of Kittim shall come against him, and he shall be afraid and withdraw, and shall turn back and be enraged and take action against the holy covenant. He shall turn back and pay attention to those who forsake the holy covenant. Forces from him shall appear and profane the temple and fortress, and shall take away the regular burnt offering. And they shall set up the abomination that makes desolate. He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.   The other kings were bad, but this new king who arises is truly contemptible.  The heir of Seleucus IV was imprisoned in Rome and Antiochus IV bought and manipulated his way to the throne in his place.  He took the name “Epiphanes” meaning “Manifest One”.  In short, he thought he was God.  And Antiochus Epiphanes did his best to turn Jerusalem into a pagan Greek city.  The passage here refers to him deposing the high priest, Onias III.  His action against the holy covenant refers to his making it illegal to live by torah, his manipulation of Jewish collaborators, and to his defilement of the altar in the temple.  But Antiochus Epiphanes pushed too hard.  It's not that the earlier Greek kings weren't bad or that they, too, hadn't imposed pagan culture on Judah, but none had ever made the effort that this king did.  For the most part, they'd left Judah alone, under the rule of the high priest, as long as he coughed up tribute money every year.  Under the earlier kings, most people didn't feel compelled to make a choice between the Lord and the pagan gods, but under Antiochus Epiphanes, that's just what happened.  No one could sit on the fence anymore.  No one could say that this didn't affect them.  And so the vision tells of the wise in the community standing up and encouraging the people—not all (there were many who collaborated with Antiochus), but still a good many of them—these wise ones encourage them to stand firm.  They prepared the faithful to pay with their lives for doing so.  Those days tested the faith of the people and, in the end, revealed who was seriously committed to the Lord and who was not.  Again, in all this we're reminded that God was at work in the days of Antiochus just like he had been in the exile back in Daniel's day. And this brings the vision up to what was the present day for the author of Daniel, about 167BC.  So far the vision has been relating the history that led up to this point as if it were a prophecy given by Daniel back in the Sixth Century.  With verse 36 the vision transitions.  Now it looks into the future.  But the style changes, too.  Everything becomes more grandiose, but more importantly, the description of how this crisis will reach its climax uses imagery and language from the Prophets, especially Isaiah 10, Ezekiel 38-39, and Psalms 2, 46, 48, and 76.  The Prophets spoke of the “End” and Daniel's vision describes the present crisis as another embodiment of that great “End”. This is the point where evangelical interpreters disagree with each other.  Some see the change in style, the language of the End, and the fact that Antiochus didn't exactly meet his death the way it's described here, some see all this as reason to think that the vision is now turning from the events of the Second Century to events much further in the future.  It's no longer talking about Antiochus IV Epiphanes, but about a future “Antichrist”.  Other evangelical scholars see nothing in the text that justifies that kind of change in subject and timeframe and believe this is still talking about events in the Second Century. Either way, there are difficult problems and anyone who says otherwise simply isn't being honest.  I'll say that Daniel 11:36-12:13 is the most difficult Bible text I've ever wrestled with and every time you think you've made progress untangling the ball of yarn, you discover that you've just turned one big knot into half a dozen smaller ones that are just as tenacious.  If you know me, you know I think it's best to let the text speak for itself even if that makes things difficult.  I can't see anything within the text itself that justifies projecting this part of Daniel into the far future.  The text itself is pretty clear that it's looking to the immediate future—to the three or three-and-a-half years to come, to the death of Antiochus, and to the vindication of the Jews who were faithful in that crisis.  I might be wrong, but either way you end up with some problems that are hard to resolve—I just prefer going the route that lets the biblical text speak most naturally for itself.  So, verses 36-45: “And the king shall do as he wills. He shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak astonishing things against the God of gods. He shall prosper till the indignation is accomplished; for what is decreed shall be done. He shall pay no attention to the gods of his fathers, or to the one beloved by women. He shall not pay attention to any other god, for he shall magnify himself above all. He shall honor the god of fortresses instead of these. A god whom his fathers did not know he shall honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and costly gifts. He shall deal with the strongest fortresses with the help of a foreign god. Those who acknowledge him he shall load with honor. He shall make them rulers over many and shall divide the land for a price.   Antiochus Epiphanes wasn't unique in making claims of divinity and the description here about his idolatry is grandiose, but there's nothing in the text that suggests at all that this is suddenly about some other king, let alone an Antichrist figure in the distant future.  I think what's going on here is that the vision captures how it felt for the faithful Jews to live under Antiochus, because he was the first of these rulers to deliberately undermine their laws, their faith, their worship and to defile their temple.  We do the same thing in our political discourse all the time, turning bad politicians into over-the-top monsters, and our politicians aren't half the monster that Antiochus was.  It goes on:   “At the time of the end, the king of the south shall attack him, but the king of the north shall rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots and horsemen, and with many ships. And he shall come into countries and shall overflow and pass through. He shall come into the glorious land. And tens of thousands shall fall, but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom and Moab and the main part of the Ammonites. He shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall become ruler of the treasures of gold and of silver, and all the precious things of Egypt, and the Libyans and the Cushites shall follow in his train. But news from the east and the north shall alarm him, and he shall go out with great fury to destroy and devote many to destruction. And he shall pitch his palatial tents between the sea and the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with none to help him.   We don't really know how Antiochus Epiphanes died.  The Greek historian Polybius and the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees give varying accounts of his being driven mad after an attempt to plunder a temple in Persia.  He seems to have died not long after.  1 and 2 Maccabees suggest that there was an element of divine wrath in his affliction and death.  The description here, again, seems grandiose and we know nothing of him pitching his tents between the sea and Mt. Zion.  Whatever we make of the specifics, what the author saw in the Prophets—and I think, too, that he was an astute observer of how the hubris of these Greek kings and their internal intrigues worked out in history—the author understood these things and could say with certainty that the wicked Antiochus Epiphanes would get his divine comeuppance. Whether this vision was actual prophecy or whether it was the author's attempt to exhort the faithful in Judah by working out a sort of pseudo-prophecy based on the visions of Daniel and the writings of Israel's prophets, the Spirit stands behind the text.  I've been wrestling with the difficulties here for months.  Is it prophecy?  Is it pseudo-prophecy?  Was it written in the Sixth Century or the Second?  Did the people who received it think it was written by Daniel hundreds of years before or did they know it was written by one of their own who was suffering under Antiochus just as they were?  These are hard questions and there's no easy solution.  But what I do know and what I keep coming back to is that the Holy Spirit stands behind these words and we know that, because Jesus drew on them as scripture and so did the writers of the New Testament.  I expect I'll get into this idea more next week, Lord willing, but I think Jesus' use of Daniel points us in the right direction, because Jesus used this last vision of Daniel to point to the future vindication and resurrection of his people.  In doing that I think Jesus was doing with Daniel what Daniel had done with the earlier prophets.  As I said a few minutes ago, the Prophets often pointed forward to the “End”—the End with a capital “E”—and it was usually associated with whatever historical events of judgement and vindication they were prophesying.  And those prophecies were fulfilled in history, those times of judgement and vindication came as they had said, but always that great End was still out there, always pointing to a time when there would be a great and final day, at the end of history, on which the wicked will be judged and the faithful will be vindicated and I think that's what's going on in this final vision of Daniel.  Through the judgement of the wicked and vindication of the just in his own day, the author of Daniel points even more emphatically than the prophets of old had, towards that final Day of the Lord.  And this, then, is what Jesus picks up from Daniel and makes his own.  In his death and resurrection, in his ascension and his judgement of faithless Jerusalem and the temple, Jesus is saying that that great eschatological End with a capital “E” is finally here.  The end of history has begun.  And in that he's much like the old Prophets and he's much like Daniel.  There's still time to go.  There are still things to be done on both earth and in the heavenlies before every last enemy has been put under his feet.  And in the meantime God's people—even now empowered by the gospel and the Spirit—God's people, like they always have, need this encouragement to stand firm, to keep the faith, and to fight he good fight—even if it means our death.  Our acclamation as we come to the Lord's Table gives us just this kind of exhortation and if you aren't accustomed to thinking of it that way, try to think of it that way from now on: Christ has died.  Christ has risen.  Christ will come again.  Jesus has fulfilled what the Prophets spoke.  He has inaugurated the End.  And now we live in that in between time—between the beginning of the End and the end of the End.  And that, Brothers and Sisters, is good news.  It is the exhortation we need to stand firm, to keep the faith, and to fight the good fight knowing that our Lord sits enthroned in the heavenlies and has already won the battle and decisively turned the tide of this war. Let's pray: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the many and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

The Library of Alexandria was one of the most important and most celebrated buildings of the ancient Mediterranean. It was a great hub of learning and literature and made Alexandria one of the ancient world's foremost centres of knowledge and culture, and the jewel of the Nile Delta. But when was it built? And where did all the books come from?In today's episode of The Ancients, Tristan Hughes speaks to Dr. Islam Issa about the story behind one of histories greatest libraries. Together they explore why Alexandria's reigning dynasty - the Ptolemies - were so obsessed with acquiring knowledge and uncover whether it really did burn down in a great fire. This episode was produced by Joseph Knight and edited by Aidan Lonergan.Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code ANCIENTS - sign up here.You can take part in our listener survey here.

About the King's Business Daniel 8:1-27 by William Klock The books of 1 and 2 Maccabees in the Apocrypha detail the persecution of the Jews in the mid-160s BC, during the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  2 Maccabees 6, for example, tells how “the king sent an Athenian senator to compel the Jews to forsake the laws of their ancestors and no longer to live by the laws of God; also to pollute the temple in Jerusalem and to call it the temple of Olympian Zeus” (6:1-2).  The gentiles used the temple of God for their orgies and drunken banquets.  Antiochus desecrated the alter with the sacrifice of a pig.  On holidays the king's men would round up Jews and force them to participate in his parades and sacrifices.  Those who refused to participate or who were caught living by torah were killed.  Two women, for example, were caught having circumcised their baby boys.  Their babies were tied around their necks as the women were paraded through the streets to the wall of the city and then thrown down it to their deaths.  Faithful Jews who were caught secretly observing the sabbath in a nearby network of caves were burned alive.  2 Maccabees 7 tells the story of seven brothers and their mother, who were threatened with torture to eat pork.  Despite being beaten, they refused. The king fell into a rage, and gave orders to have pans and caldrons heated. These were heated immediately, and he commanded that the tongue of their spokesman be cut out and that they scalp him and cut off his hands and feet, while the rest of the brothers and the mother looked on. When he was utterly helpless, the king ordered them to take him to the fire, still breathing, and to fry him in a pan. The smoke from the pan spread widely, but the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die nobly, saying, “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us, as Moses declared in his song that bore witness against the people to their faces, when he said, ‘And he will have compassion on his servants.'” (2 Maccabees 7:3-6) The king went on to do the same to the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh brothers who all refused.  We read that: The mother was especially admirable and worthy of honorable memory. Although she saw her seven sons perish within a single day, she bore it with good courage because of her hope in the Lord. She encouraged each of them in the language of their ancestors. Filled with a noble spirit, she reinforced her woman's reasoning with a man's courage, and said to them, “I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.” (2 Maccabees s7:20-23) She stood firm—and so did her sons—because they hoped in the Lord.  They knew that he is the Lord of history.  They knew his goodness.  They knew his faithfulness.  They knew their story and how it was interwoven with the story of the faithfulness of the God of Israel, and so even as they were brutally murdered by a mad king, they trusted in him.  Daniel was written for these people.  The stories in the first half of the book show Daniel and his friends standing firm for the Lord during the Babylonian exile, but the dreams and visions in the second are situated right in the middle of those days of violent persecution four centuries later.  That's what we see now as we come to Chapter 8 and to Daniel's second vision.  Let's start with verse 1 and read through to the end. In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after that which appeared to me at the first. And I saw in the vision; and when I saw, I was in Susa the citadel, which is in the province of Elam. And I saw in the vision, and I was at the Ulai canal. I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last. I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.   As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground. And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.   Out of one of them came a little horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them. It became great, even as great as the Prince of the host. And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper. Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”   When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having the appearance of a man. And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and it called, “Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” So he came near where I stood. And when he came, I was frightened and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, O son of man, that the vision is for the time of the end.”   And when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But he touched me and made me stand up. He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end. As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia. And the goat is the king of Greece. And the great horn between his eyes is the first king. As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power. And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise. His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many. And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but by no human hand. The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”   And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it.   Another vision during the reign of the blasphemous king Belshazzar.  In his ways, he foreshadows the evils of Antiochus Epiphanes.  But as the first vision revealed, the days of Babylon were soon to be over, so this vision whisks Daniel hundreds of kilometres to the east, to Susa, which would become the capital of the Persian empire.  And there he sees another animal, this time a ram.  This is another clue as to when the book was written.  The ram as a sign of the zodiac was associated with Persia—not in Daniel's day, but in the time of the Greeks. The symbolism of Daniel 7 was difficult and there's a fair bit of disagreement about what it all means, but not so much with Daniel 8.  This vision is simpler and the explanation pretty straightforward.  Most everyone agrees on the major points.  So it begins with a ram representing the combined empire of the Medes and the Persians—those are the two horns, one bigger than the other.  Horns, in ancient imagery, represent strength.  The Medes were strong, but the Persians eventually become stronger and gobbled them up and so Daniel sees the ram, lowering its head, and charging from the east into the north and into the south and into the west—which is exactly what the Persian empire did, until it controlled the known world, even as far as Greece.  Daniel writes that the ram did as it pleased and became strong.  It's the way of human empires. But as the ram reaches the peak of its power, Daniel sees a goat appear in the west.  It helps to know that in the biblical mind, the goat was stronger and more powerful than the ram.  This goat had a single horn and it made its way across the land so fast it might have been flying for all it seemed to touch the earth.  It put its head down and charged the mighty ram and shattered both its powerful horns.  In case the symbolism wasn't already obvious, the angel explains that the goat is Greece.  The jutting horn is Alexander the Great. Alexander was the son of Philip II, King of Macedon.  He was tutored by Aristotle and assumed the throne when his father died in 336 BC.  He was only twenty years old.  By the age of thirty he had conquered the known world, from Greece in the west to India in the East, from Central Asia in the north to Egypt in the south.  And then, in 323 BC, still a young man, Alexander died of a fever in Babylon.  For twenty years his generals fought over his empire, eventually carving it up into four kingdoms, which Daniel sees as four horns.  The two relevant ones for the Jews were that of Seleucus who controlled Syria and the east, and Ptolemy, who controlled Egypt and Palestine. But this is all the background to the most important part of the vision.  Out of those Greek successor kingdoms arises another horn.  He isn't named, but as the details of the first horn obviously point to Alexander, the details of this new horn point very obviously to Antiochus IV Epiphanes.  In the great sweep of history, Antiochus was hardly the greatest of the Greek kings, but when he defeated the Egyptian Ptolemies and took control of Judah he became very important to the Jews.  The Ptolemies had treated the Jews well and allowed them to govern themselves as a sort of religous state as long as the high priest coughed up the annual taxes.  Antiochus, however, wanted to make good Greeks of the Jews and to get his hands on the temple treasury.  Under his rule the priesthood was bought and sold and eventually observance of torah was outlawed and torah scrolls burned.  God's worship in the temple was ended and it was turned into a temple to Olympian Zeus.  And Antiochus murdered faithful Jews by the tens of thousands. In Daniel's vision, Antiochus takes the form of this great horn that rises up against heaven itself.  These verses, especially 12-13, are difficult.  Just when I was glad to leave the Aramaic of chapters 2-7 behind, here come these verses that I can only describe as a Hebrew word salad.  The Hebrew of Daniel is something else that points to it having been written in the Second Century, because it's not written in the great literary Hebrew of Daniel's day, but in a sort of clunky Hebrew that looks a lot like it was written by someone who probably spoke Aramaic as a first language.  But that's okay.  The gist of Daniel's vision is that Antiochus, in going up against the temple and the priesthood, was really shaking his fist at the God of Israel.  This little earthly king who called himself “Epiphanies”—the manifestation of God—was pitting himself against the living God, the Lord of history, the one the Babylonian kings had had the good sense to acknowledge as God Most High.  That never ends well. And yet, for a time, the mad king seems to have won.  Israel's identity was centred on the temple.  That was the place where heaven and earth, where God and man met.  They were the holy people who lived with God in their midst.  And not only did Antiochus do his best to make sure they broke their end of the covenant with God by preventing them from keeping his law, but he suspended the very sacrifices that acknowledged God's presence in the temple.  He wanted the Jews to live like good Greeks and when they insisted on living like Jews, he banished their God from his temple and set up an altar to Zeus.  Judah was now his land.  Their God was gone, so they had no reason to obey his law.  Of course, the Jews knew better.  Like that mother and her seven sons in 2 Maccabees, they knew the faithfulness of the God of the Israel and they knew that no puny human king could blaspheme against him forever.  But, for a time, he would seem to have won the day.  According to Daniel's vision, for 2300 evenings and mornings the temple would be desolate.  That's a reference to the morning and evening sacrifices that were—or were supposed to be—made every day.  The sacrifices that Antiochus suspended.  Depending on how you parse this detail out, it's either about three years and three months or it's about six years and six months.  Most people tend to go with the three years, which corresponds closely to the time when Antiochus had suspended the worship of the Lord in the temple.  But the six-and-a-half years works too, if you count back to when the high priest was deposed.  Either way, we know what the vision represents.  And either way and for whatever reason, it's not an exact number, which means it may also be symbolic—we just can't be sure exactly how.  However we parse out the number, the important point is that the Lord has numbered these evil days. And that's the point I want to close on.  Too often we get fixated on numbers and on fixing dates and end up missing the point.  We do it with books like Daniel.  We do it with books like Revelation.  We do it with the prophets and with the apocalyptic discourses of Jesus.  It's nothing new.  Christians have been setting dates for over a thousand years and whenever we do, we seem to end up distracted from the gospel mission we've been given.  Often it ends with the creation of schismatic sects and cults.  William Miller, for example, worked out from these 2300 evening and mornings that Jesus would return in 1843.  His argument convinced a lot of people (and it helped that he threw in plenty of “God has told mes”).  Of course, it didn't happen so he adjusted his formula, admitted a small error, and corrected the date to 1844.  That didn't happen either.  But his followers had given up everything and then many of them walked away and became jaded.  They called it the “Great Disappointment”.  But, still, to this day Miller has his ardent followers.  They're the Seventh Day Adventists and believe that it really did happen in 1843, and that it wasn't about Jesus returning to the earth, but that Jesus on that date entered the heavenly temple to begin is work of judging souls in anticipation of his return. And many of us remember Hal Lindsey's The Late Great Planet Earth that became a sensation in the 1970s.  Lindsey made a point of not setting an exact date, but he wasn't shy about saying things like the 1980's would probably be the earth's last decade.  It motivated some people to become missionaries, but it motivated lots of other people to abandon their jobs, their families, and to run up massive credit card debt because they were convinced that in a year or two none of it would matter.  In more recent years we've had similar predictions made about “blood moons” and the like.  Christian bookstores were filled books about the imminent return of Jesus and end of the world.  People were, once again, all worked up about the end of the world and, once again, nothing happened. Again, we too often forget the point of passages like this one in Daniel 8.  Even if we could estimate or even set a date by it, the point is that God is in control and, because of that, we have every reason to stand firm in the midst of trials and persecution, knowing that God will vindicate us in the same way that he has vindicated his people in the past and, especially for us as Christians, in the same way that he vindicated his son when he raised him from death.  Daniel 8—and so many other passages—remind us first and foremost that God is sovereign.  No matter how it seems, history is not random.  No matter how much they may shake their fists at the heavens, no king is outside the sovereign will of God.  No matter how much we may abuse our God-given liberty, every one of us will be held to account.  Sin and evil will not go on forever.  God is judge, one day he will deal with sin and death once and for all, and eventually all of creation will be to rights—including us.  And we know that this will happen, we believe, we have hope, because of the death and resurrection of Jesus.  At the cross God did the hard part needed to set the world to rights.  At the cross Jesus won the decisive battle and one day the war will be over when we, the church, his people, have accomplished the work he has given.  He has equipped us with his own Spirit and sends us out to proclaim the life giving and renewing good news of his death and resurrection.  And for two thousand years, that good news has driven away the false gods of the pagans and brought kings and their people to their knees before Jesus and to give glory to the God of Israel.  Brothers and Sisters, date-setting, goofy predictions, and eschatological paranoia do nothing to witness the sovereignty of the Lord of history.  They do just the opposite and they undermine our witness.  They make Christians look foolish and the scriptures untrustworthy.  Our mission is to proclaim the gospel, because in Jesus and in his death and resurrection, that is where the world meets the living God and knows his faithfulness. And that brings me to the final point.  Look again at verse 27 and Daniel's response.  The vision left him troubled.  He even lay sick in his bed for “some days”.  He was in some sense dismayed because he didn't fully understand it.  But what did he do?  He says that he arose and went about the king's business.  Brothers and Sisters, the prophecies and apocalypses that the Spirit has given us in the scripture were never meant to send us out in a panic or a frenzy, they weren't given to have us abandon our earthly responsibilities because the world is coming to an end.  They were given to us to remind us that God is sovereign, that he will judge the wicked, and that he will vindicate his people for their faithfulness.  So be faithful.  The Lord had placed Daniel in a position of authority in the court of the king of Babylon.  That pagan court was soon to fall.  That pagan king was soon to die.  But the Lord had put Daniel in that position for a reason and so he went faithfully back to his work.  The same goes for each of us.  The Lord has put us where we are for a reason.  Be a faithful husband and father or a faithful wife and mother knowing that the Lord is sovereign.  Be faithful in your vocation, whatever it may be, however mundane it may seem.  Be faithful to your earthly obligations: to your family, to your business, to your school, to your church, to your club, to your friends, to your debts, to your country knowing that the Lord has placed you where you are.  That is, after all, the King's business.  This witness to our trust in the sovereignty of God is the foundation that undergirds our greater witness to Jesus and the gospel.  It is what prepares us to stand firm should the day come when we find ourselves forced to choose between obedience to an earthly king and obedience to our heavenly King.  May we stand firm like the saints of old and declare with the mother of those seven martyred sons, “The Lord God is watching over us and in truth has compassion on us.” Let's pray: Almighty God, look with mercy on your people; that by your great goodness we may be always governed and preserved both in body and soul, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

Twenty years of chaos in the Ptolemaic kingdom come to an end during the reign of Ptolemy V Epiphanes (204-180). His marriage to the Seleucid princess Cleopatra I Syra confirmed the loss of Coele Syria to Antiochus III, yet she proved to be a good match and helped secure the future of the dynasty. Haronnophoris and the Great Revolt are finally put down in 186, but the Alexandrian government is forced to give concessions to the Egyptians, as the Ptolemies must now come to terms with their new status as a second-class power in the Mediterranean. We also delve into the history of the Rosetta Stone, the Hellenistic period's most famous document, and its role in the decipherment of Ancient Egyptian. Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2024/03/10/095-ptolemaic-egypt-the-two-lands-restored/) Episode Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/095-ptolemaic-egypt-the-two-lands-restored-transcript.pdf) Ptolemy V Family Tree: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2024/03/reign-of-ptolemy-v.pdf) Autocrat Podcast: Website (http://www.autocratpodcast.wordpress.com/) Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/30Muilr1O66yA4UDcj76SW?si=c6648d9db9b3446c) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Patreon (https://patreon.com/TheHellenisticAgePodcast) Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The prophecy concerning the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. Daniel 11-5-10. -Remake of 2002 series-

The Ptolemaic dynasty, sometimes referred to as the Lagid dynasty, was a Macedonian Greek royal dynasty which ruled the Ptolemaic Kingdom in Ancient Egypt during the Hellenistic period. Their rule lasted for 275 years, from 305 to 30 BC. The Ptolemaic was the last dynasty of ancient Egypt. Help us out by filling out this survey Travel to Japan With Me here Bonus episodes as well as ad-free episodes on Patreon. Find us on Instagram. Join us on Discord. Submit your relatives on our website Join the Book Club on http://chirpbooks.com/history Get some delicious COFFEE Podcast Youtube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Egyptian city of Alexandria was one of the greatest cities of the ancient Mediterranean world. Founded by Alexander the Great himself in 323BC, the metropolis was nurtured by his successors in Egypt, the Ptolemies, and flourished throughout the Late Hellenistic and Roman Imperial periods. Its famed lighthouse was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the lost tombs of Alexander and even Cleopatra are believed to be there. The legacy endures to this day, but a significant portion of the ancient city is now underwater, lying beneath the eastern harbour of modern Alexandria.In this episode, Tristan is joined by leading expert on the sunken city of Alexandria, Franck Goddio to discuss this dramatic period of history. As an underwater archaeologist who has excavated the submerged city for many years, Franck shares his immense knowledge of the site. Revealing what some of his team's incredible finds have shown about this underwater metropolis, and trying to separate fact from fiction, just what do we know about this sunken city?The Senior Producer was Elena GuthrieThe Assistant Producer was Annie ColoeMixed & edited by Aidan LonerganFor more Ancients content, subscribe to our Ancients newsletter here. If you'd like to learn even more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - enter promo code ANCIENTS for a free trial, plus 50% off your first three months' subscription. To download, go to Android > or Apple store > Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Everything is on fire, there's only one Seleucid left and it's eighteen-year-old Antiochus III, but he has a plan. He just needs to fight meddling regents, the East, the Ptolemies, and the West. Oh, and the Roman wolf is about to devour Carthage... You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2023/02/12/26-antiochus-iii-the-great/

So Antiochus II left a right mess and now his three sons are going to have to figure out who gets to succeed. Follow Seleucus II as he balances the concerns of his own family with the Ptolemies while the thundering of hoofs makes itself heard in the east. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2023/01/29/24-seleucus-ii-callinicus/

He wasn't meant to be king in the first place but there aren't many options left so it'll have to be Antiochus II. How will he deal with the Ptolemies? Will plan a better succession than his father? Tune in to find out. You can find all the images on our website! https://soyouthinkyoucanrulepersia.wordpress.com/2023/01/22/23-antiochus-ii-theos/

The second half can get pretty trippy if you don't realize what all the metaphors mean. Join Clay and Ross and they shed some light on this apocalyptic text.

The entrance of Alexander the Great into Egypt was not the "liberation" the native Egyptians expected. The conqueror and his successors, the Ptolemies, Hellenized Egypt's culture, people, and government. Episode links: For help making your podcast sound as good as this one, contact Nicholas Allaire at nicholasjallaire@gmail.com

Last time we spoke, the Qing Dynasty faced the last real death throes of the Ming Dynasty. What is known as the Revolt of three Feudatories resulted in a war against Wu Sangui, Geng Jingzhong & Shang Zhixin. One by one each warlord fell to the Qing dynasty's vast armies and with each defeat brought more territory and populace under the Qing yolk. However one last major enemy loomed, the Kingdom of Taiwan established by Koxinga. Koxinga's descendent Zheng Keshuang would eventually be defeated and with his submission it seemed the Qing Dynasty would have eternal peace. However, the Qing' enemies remained within and outside its borders at all times. Holding the new empire together would not be easy. The Qing empire, much like the great wall of China could be destroyed, brick by brick and only time would tell how that wall would hold.    This episode is the White Lotus Rebellion   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on the history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The revolt of the 3 feudatories had ended, Wu Sangui, Geng Jingzhong & Shang Zhixin were all defeated. The grandson of Koxinga, Zheng Keshuang was defeated, Taiwan was conquered and brought under the fold of the Qing dynasty. The Qing also managed to defend its borders from the external threat of the Tsardom of Russia. The Russians had ventured into border skirmishes around the Amur River valley, first in 1658 with the Battle of Hutong, in which a force of Manchu and Koreans overwhelmed a force of 500 Cossacks aboard 11 ships, sending them fleeing to Albazin. Albazin was a Russian settlement on the Amur River right along the Qing Dynasty's border and it remained a point of conflict in the late 17th century. Since their defeat at the battle of Hutong, the Russians began a campaign of persuading nearby populaces to their cause rather than the Qing which became such a nuisance by 1685 that the Qing sent a force to lay siege to the settlement. In just one day the settlement garrisoned by 450 men surrendered, however a year later the Russians would return to the settlement looking to re-establish themselves. The Qing yet again besieged the settlement in 1686, however this time it was much bloodier. The Qing threw around 3000 men at Albazin which was garrisoned by 800, by the end of the ordeal it is said just 24 men survived within Albazin and the Qing lost perhaps 1500 casualties. In the greater scheme of things, it was just a small border clash, but the result was rather significant. The Russians had been acting rather boldly, because of all the strife going on between the Qing and Ming, but now that the Qing had consolidated their new empire they were more than capable of defending any encroachments, especially those in Manchuria,their native homelands. After defeating the Russians again at the Siege of Albazin, the Qing government sent letters to the Tsar suggesting they sign a peace treaty, because for quite a long time now, the Qing were dealing with an age old enemy, the Mongols, to be precise the Dzungar Mongols. Emperor Kangxi wished to rid the Russian nuisance from the Amur area which was the northern border so he could focus his army on the north-western problem that was the Dzungar Mongols. The Russians knew they could not hope to defend outposts as far as the Amur region and the idea of peace talks perked their interests as trade would be far more beneficial to them then border skirmishes. A treaty would be signed called the Treaty of Nerchinsk, which established trade between the 2 empires and relative peace for quite a long time. This was also the first treaty between the Tsardom of Russia and the Qing dynasty, so a bit of legitimizing for the new-ish regime.   The Qing would have a hell of a time with the Dzungar Mongols which accumulated into what is known as the Dzungar-Qing war which almost went on for a hundred years. By the time the Qing would effectively end the wars with the Dzungar mongols, and all culminated in what is known as the Dzungar genocide. By the end of the wars in the 1750's it is estimated that around 80% of the Dzungar population, something like 500-800 thousand people were killed. During the early 18th century, the Qianlong Emperor gave a directive stating “"Show no mercy at all to these rebels. Only the old and weak should be saved. Our previous military campaigns were too lenient. If we act as before, our troops will withdraw, and further trouble will occur. If a rebel is captured and his followers wish to surrender, he must personally come to the garrison, prostrate himself before the commander, and request surrender. If he only sends someone to request submission, it is undoubtedly a trick. Tell Tsengünjav to massacre these crafty Zunghars. Do not believe what they say."”. As you can imagine such directives led to the massacres of countless people. On Top of the killings, the remaining Dzungar peoples were forcefully relocated to places all over China. Reports from a QING scholar named Wei Yuan who lived almost 100 years after the events state that 30% of the Dzungar people were killed by the Qing military, 40% died of disease such as a smallpox epidemic, 20% fled to other places like Russia and modern day Kazakhstan. There are quite a few historians who argue the Qianlong Emperor simply engaged in a genocidal campaign. Regardless after this rather horrible and bloody ordeal, for the most part the Qing dynasty undergoes a period of relative peace, and I mean the word peace should be taken with a grain of salt, for all Chinese history I don't think there is a single year some revolt or rebellion is not occurring.    When Emperor Kangxi took the throne from 1661-1722 this began what is called the Qing Golden Age. His successor Emperor Yongzheng continued the golden age from 1723-1735 and was further succeeded by Emperor Qianlong who would rule from 1735-1796 which is seen as the peak of the Golden age. During this period China annexed most of Mongolia, northeast China, Xinjiang, Tibet and Taiwan, aside from Taiwan, its basically the borders of the very China we know today. China at this time amounted to over 32% of the worlds industrial output, its population soared past 100 million for the first time in history and soon grew to an enormous 300 million, hell I live in Canada and we barely have 38 million right now! Despite being such a colossus, China for the most part was quite isolated in its market. China allowed foreign trade through places like Macau, but it was quite limited in scope. Eventually it would be expanded upon.   When the Qianlong Emperor took the throne he began numerous projects including the Ten Great Campaigns, which was a series of military campaigns that enlarged the empire to the extent I had mentioned previously. He put together the largest collection of books in Chinese history to that point known as the Siku Quanshu, “complete repository of the Four branches of Literature”. The exploration of the new world also brought riches in the form of new foods to China. The potato and peanut dramatically improved food supplies allowing for China's population to boom.    Now the upcoming episodes are going to specifically look at the emergence of European powers mingling with China. But this episode is going to be directed at an internal story, and one that is not often talked about. Stating that I will be glossing over some very very important events such as the journey of James Flint and the mission of Lord George Macartney, but rest assured those stories will be the very forefront after this one.   In the spring of 1794, the HMS Lion departed from Macau for its long voyage back home to England and a rumor spread amongst its crew that in the mountainous counties of Shanxi province, that a “true master” had appeared. This so-called Master was said to be marked with the character for the sun upon his left hand and the character of the moon on his right. Together these characters formed the character “Ming”, dun dun dunnnn. According to another rumor, a giant boulder in the village of where this master was born had suddenly split open revealing a hidden scripture inside thar read:  “A black wind will blow for a day and a night. It will destroy men beyond number. White bones will be piled into mountains, and Blood will flow to become an ocean”    It was the telling of an apocalypse, and rumors sprang all through China that the only way to escape the destruction was to memorize that scripture from the boulder and to chant it. Oh and to begin stockpiling guns and other weapons and be ready to support the great master's uprising against the Qing. It was said the “black wind” would hit in the spring of 1796 and it would destroy the world and usher in a new age. Zhang Zhengmo, a peasant living in Hubei province was one of many who believed the prophecy. At 32 years of age he had heard it told to him by a sect leader named Bai who explained to Zhang and many others that the True Master's doctrine was part of the White Lotus teachings.    The White Lotus sect had been around for hundreds of years, it was something like a marriage between Buddhism and Daoism. For the most part, the White Lotus sects amounted to nothing more than harmless people practicing a faith based on healing and protection from misfortune. The founder of the Ming dynasty Zhu Yuanzhang, joined a White Lotus Revolution that took shape in 1352 in Guangzhou. The revolution saw him taking firm control over the head of a rebellious army and he would go on to conquer Nanjing and take the title of Emperor Hongwu ushering in a new age. His title also held religious sentiment of the White Lotus. This religion however like many others held a prediction of an apocalypse and its followers believed that with it would come the second coming of Buddha who would return in the form of a bodhisattva named Maitreya to rid the world of corruption and suffering. Maitreya would destroy the corrupt government and the non believers and a utopia would be formed for those who helped bring upon the apocalypse.    So put yourself in the shoes of the Manchu rulers of the new Qing dynasty. You hear these rumors going around and see the potential rebellion you might be seeing from this religious group. White Lotus groups had sprung uprisings countless times in history and hell the dynasty you just defeated was made by one of those uprisings! Back to Zhang Zhengmo, well he was a recent convert and Bai who was a traveling sect leader became his teacher who indoctrinated him in the True Master's doctrine. Zhang donated money to the cause, not much, he was a peasant after all, but enough to start hoarding weapons. He then began to recruit other followers to become his students…you can see where this is going, think of a good old fashion MLM scam of today like herbalife or scientology haha except instead of toxic shakes or alien stories its people hoarding weapons to begin an apocalypse. So you can sort of get the picture, you become a follower, in the process you pay money to hoard weapons. Then you recruit other followers, rinse and repeat, soon you got yourself a rebellion cooking.    Zhang Zhengmo lived in a part of China considered to be an internal frontier, wide mountain ranges along the points where Hubei, Shaanxi and Sichuan pressed against another, same types of places all the bandit armies would run up into when the Qing came after them. This particular region was known as the Han River Highlands, which fed into the Yangzi river, not a very hospitable area and thus less developed. It was dense with forest, hills and such, perfect for bandits to hang out in. The reason I am describing this area is to emphasize something that is going on in China. I mentioned the population boom, from 100-300 million, it was enormous. With so many people, the necessity for agricultural expansion was enormous as well. Most of the southern and eastern parts of China were being cleared out for crops, literally everywhere was getting gulped up by farms. More and more people were forced to move into areas like the Han River Highlands and all of this culminated in more and more competition between settlers over natural resources. Like with most frontier societies, this got violent very fast. The Han River Highlands were a pretty scary place to live in the late 18th century, there was just about no security because the government officials were all in other areas. Thus without much intervention, who could step in to marshall such places? The White Lotus thats who.   The White Lotus promised safety for all of its followers and were more than happy to accept any settlers. By 1794 the Qing administration warily watched as regions such as the Han River Highlands had sects such as the White Lotus grow. Provincial authorities saw the potential risk of insurrection and began to work at dismantling such cells before they could cause trouble. A crackdown came in 1794 targeting groups based out of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Hubei. Emperor Qianlong made an edict in September ordering all captured sectarians to be punished according to the nature of their guilt. So for example, spiritual leaders would be executed by being cut into pieces, wozzors. Those who spread the White Lotus teachings would be beheaded. Mere followers, would be arrested and deported to Manchuria as slaves. All in all not a very subtle edict.    So the local Qing officials set to work, first it was village headmen who organized forces to round up White Lotus members. Within a few months time they had arrested 20 teachers and over a hundred followers, and as you can imagine their methodology was brutal and would intensify the situation. There was not enough forces to get the job done so the local officials began to hire local thugs to go house to house. As you can imagine the thugs began to run amok, many began to threaten to arrest people if they didn't pay them off. So those who paid them off or somehow managed to prove they were not White Lotus members received placards that they could put on their doors marking them as “decent people”. Everyone else were open targets for abuse as they were suspected White Lotus members. When Zhang Zhengmo heard the officials going house to house he quickly abandoned his home and fled before inspectors could get him. He returned to his native county in the same province where he continued his mission to recruit more followers. By the late winter of 1796, it is estimated that Zhang had more than 1000 followers. Only 2 months before the planned date for the apocalypse or better called uprising, Zhang found out that local officials were mounting a new crackdown now in his native county. Fearing his arrest, Zhang prepared for their arrival, calling upon his followers and telling him the time had come.   Zhang's followers took to the roads where they joined up with other cells that other recruiters had grown. In only a few days more than 10,000 White Lotus members converged under the leadership of Zhang Zhengmo. They brought with them, swords, guns, gunpowder and other supplies necessary for waging a rebellion. They plundered villages for supplies and began conscripting the local populace, coercing them with food. This all mattered not to the White Lotus believers who were taught that non believers would all be destroyed when Buddha returned regardless, so who cares if they harm any of these people in the meantime. The worshipers and their indentured conscripts soon swelled to 20,000 and they began to create blockades along the roads and pathways and made their way to the hills. Zhang Zhengmo's first HQ was to be a mountain estate of a very wealthy believer, but Zhang worried it was to undefendable and thus brought his force further into the mountains where he knew they could hold up better. A campment was built with thousands of shacks, white banners were spread out and the force began to adopt white headbands to identify themselves as legitimate rebels. Their weaponry was mostly swords, knives, though they did have 300 matchlock rifles and 6 chestnut wood cannons. They also had a ton of crossbows and a lot of poison tipped bolts. The defense of the mountain was typical guerilla stuff seen to this day, booby trapped paths, watch towers, makeshift landmines and people hidden around every nook and cranny.    Despite all the preparation, Zhang Zhengmo was quite reluctant to take his newfound rebel army down the mountain side, fearing they would all be slaughtered by the Qing army who must surely be awaiting them. So they all dug in for months, only sending the occasional raiding party down to gather supplies. July came and Zhang received word the Qing were slowly closing in on the mountain. He had burned his name in the registers hoping that he might be able to make an escape and some of his followers began to see he was not the leader they thought him to be. They had  been told he had met the True master, but many found out this was a lie. They looked to him for guidance, but all he could provide were cheap parlor tricks. When Zhang had called for the uprising he thought all of the White Lotus followers from miles all around would heed the cause. Yet after the first 10,000 flocked to him none others were found, he assumed everyone had been arrested and killed. They were trapped on this mountain, there was nowhere to escape to, there was no help coming. They held out another 2 months, but then in September the Qing broke their perimeter and arrested the lot of them. Zhang was to be executed, but before the deed a Qing interrogator demanded to know why he and his followers rebelled. “You are all peasants, you receive the blessings of the emperor. He relieves you of taxes and tribute grain. He relieves your debts. When there is a flood or a drought he gives you aid. You have a human heart, and you should feel gratitude and abide by the laws. So why, under the banner of these evil teachings, did you start a rebellion? In the end, what was it you wanted?”.  Zhang replied “We have indeed received blessings from the emperor. We had warm clothes and could eat our fill. We were peasants, and we were grateful. It was at a time when I was ignorant, that I first began to practice this religion. It was only because I wanted to encourage people to do good deeds and to avoid misfortune. But then the investigations and arrests intensified, and I saw that when people who practiced our religion were captured, all of them were charged with heavy crimes. So I became afraid”. So he was nothing more than a peasant, who ignorantly was led astray and when the crackdown occurred he did what he did out of fear. It is the excuse given by countless peasant uprisings, reckless bursts of defiance towards an perceived malevolent empire, nothing too remarkable. Zhang's force of 20,000 were brushed aside….and little did they know what had occurred all over China.    The “black wind” uprising spread like wildfire. The vast range and appeal of the apocalyptic rumors that had pushed Zhang and his followers had only increased exponentially. From word of mouth through the province, uprisings began to all explode spontaneously through the hill countries of the Han River Highlands. Zhang had no idea, but it was his movement that became the spark to see the entire forest ablaze. By the time the Qing officials had dealt with Zhang Zhengmo's camp, all of Hubei was engulfed in a wave of rebellion, and soon it spread to the neighboring provinces of Sichuan and Shaanxi. On february 9th of 1796, the first day of the lunar new year and just 6 days before Zhang Zhengmo began his uprising, Emperor Qianlong gave up the throne. The abdication had been planned for a very long time, all the way back to 1735 when Qianlong had given an edict that he planned to rule as long as high grandfather had. Emperor Kangxi had reigned for 61 years and Qianlong wanted to keep his word, but not entirely. While on the surface he did quote en quote abdicate on his 60th year as emperor, giving the throne to his son Jiaqing, in reality all he did was install a puppet. The calendars record the new year as Jiaqing Year 1, but within the capital it was truly Qianlong year 61. 2 calendars were kept, 2 sets of imperial annals with one referring to the supreme retired emperor Qianlong, who would continue to rule while his son kept the throne warm.   It probably would have been better for China if Emperor Qianlong really did abdicate, for while his reign was impressive, his effectiveness was deteriorating with his age. A Korean diplomat in 1794 reported to his superiors that Emperor Qianlong had acted in a bizarre manner. He stated that the Emperor ordered breakfast immediately after eating breakfast on some occasions. Thus the implication here was that the Emperor was going senile. Later in 1797 a different Korean envoy reported that the Emperor seemed to be unable to remember what occurred during the morning of their meeting nor what they had done the day prior. With the emperor in a weakened state, factions within his court began to vie for power. One of Emperor Qianlong's closest court officials a man named Heshen began to act out in the emperors name. The more the Emperors mental health declined the more Heshen would speak on his behalf. As observed by the western George Staunton in 1790 “Heshen enjoyed, almost exclusivity, the confidence of the emperor. He might be said to possess, in fact, under the emperor, the whole power of the empire”. It just so happens, Heshen was one of the most corrupt officials in Chinese history during a particularly corrupt ridden time in Chinese history. Heshen treated large amounts of the Qing governments bureaucracy as his own personal patronage network. For example, he began to appoint officials into positions and expected them to pay him handsomely for such appointments. This led the officials to embezzle money to pay him back. In one example he appointed a man to the Yellow River Conservancy, which controlled the funding for flood control over China's second longest river and the man embezzled over 6 million tales of silver each year to pay back Heshen. That money of course was required to help prevent the Yellow River from flooding and by the end of the 18th century about 1/10th of the government funds were actually used for flood prevention. As Heshen and others sucked up the money, the peasants on the floodplain suffered tremendously as the appointed official at the Yellow River Conservancy found it was in the best interests of everyone to allow the river to breach its dikes periodically, just to make sure the government funds kept pouring in. Heshen's corruption was widely apparent to the court, but to make any accusations against him was a death sentence as he had the mouth of the emperor.    Now back to the White Lotus rebellion, it was spreading as I said with great speed and this was greatly aided by government corruption. With the rampant corruption came a huge lack of government forces to respond to the initial uprisings. Skeleton garrisons in key locations such as Hubei allowed for the uprisings to spread like wildfire. The officials were caught off guard and massively unprepared. Across Hubei overwhelmed government forces tried to resist the rebels with whatever weapons they could muster, but soon began pleading other provinces for reinforcement. With such a lack of governmental forces to protect the common people, landowners resorted to raising private militias called “Xiangyong” (means local braves) which in turn began to simply plunder areas. As one witness reported “the so called militia soldiers just continued the work of stealing everything the refugees had left behind in their houses. There wasn't an empty hand anywhere…if the White Lotus rebels are like an ordinary comb, the private militia are the fine-toothed one”. These militias killed, robbed and caused further havoc. To the government all of them were rebels and in turn this caused all the rebels to find common cause. The slogan “the officials oppress, and the people rebel” spread across multiple rebel groups, and at the forefront was the White Lotus. The Qing government began a cycle of violence, redoubled its efforts to extinguish the White Lotus sects, only to give justification to them to increase their rebellious activity.    It is interesting to note the hiring of these militia's will play a crucial role in the downfall of the Qing dynasty. Many scholars attribute the adoption of hired militia's by the Qing government to being something like cutting off your limbs and eating them during starvation. The idea being that while the Qing could raise such militia's to try and stamp out the endless rebellions that will occur during their dynasty's reign, these were short term solutions and only hurt them in the long run. Hiring civilians in war showcased how the Qing standing armies were losing their fighting capability and greatly hurt the Qing treasuries. Regardless this will all be showcased much more in the future.   Emperor Qianlong saw the uprisings as a local issue that should be dealt with by local forces. His focus was on internal unrest, not the problems of the frontier lands and so he denied requests for military aid. He kept telling provincial officials to use the resources they had to deal with the uprisings even though he held ample elite troops that could have swept in to restore the peace. What Emperor Qianlong did do however was send funds to the province to help as the government treasury was jam packed with silver during this age. Without the capitals troops to reinforce them, provincial officials began to follow the lead of the militia rebels and armed peasants to fight off the rebels. At the beginning of the uprising most frontier territories had government militias of just a few hundred, luckier ones perhaps a few thousand. But as the rebellion spread into neighboring provinces and the funds from Beijing poured in, the militia armies grew exponentially. By 1798, Hubei had nearly 400,000 militiamen registered on its books and Sichuan and Shaanxi each had comparably large militia forces. In the concert of the war against the rebels, the 3 provinces reported a total of 100,000 government soldiers and upto a possible million militiamen.    The militiamen strategy proved to be very ineffective against the rebels, in fact the militias did more harm than good. Militiamen came from all walks of life, from farmers, to unemployed city folk to ruthless criminals. If you were a bandit, it was actually far more beneficial to join the militia which paid a salary about the same as a government soldier. These militiamen had no real allegiance beyond the salary they were paid so as the White Lotus watched the government hiring all of these people they simply offered them the same salary or more. By the later years of the uprising it turned out nearly half the White Lotus armies were made up of former militiamen! And if you were wondering what else than money could persuade these militiamen to join the White Lotus hear this. The governor general of Sichuan province reported with disgust that whenever government troops went into battle they simply quote “sent the militia to charge in ahead of them as they hung back where it was safe. If the militiamen got turned back by the rebels and started to run away, the government soldiers just ran after them”. On top of this, tons of false victories over the rebel armies were being reported when in reality, the government troops would just pretend to engage the rebels and continuously move their camps around. There was even reports that government forces would murder refugees from nearby villages and set up their mutilated bodies at their camps to make it look like they had caught rebels. The fact the government forces were really not engaging the rebel armies very much was so apparent one witness said “where the rebels are, there are no government forces; and where the government forces are, there are no rebels”.    With the declining mental health of Emperor Qianlong growing worse, the campaign against the White Lotus fell into the hands of Heshen who was too busy using the opportunity to enrich himself. As emperor Qianlong obsessed over the reports of the rebel war, apparently barely sleeping while he read them day and night according to accounts from his son, well Heshen was doing his best to control which reports came to the emperor. Heshen made sure all the reports were fake victory stories making it seem that the entire campaign was going off without a hitch. Heshen had appointed his own personal goons to be in key military positions who in turn fed falsified victory reports for money or military honors in return. This went further to whitewash massacres done to the civilian population by the government armies. And of course the funds for the military were going to the goons who in turn paid tribute right back to Heshen, making sure they kept their positions regardless of how incompetent they were. For the first 3 years of the war, Heshen effectively controlled the central government's military funding. It would also turn out that the registry of over 300,000 militia soldiers recruited to fight the White Lotus did not exist and it was an embezzlement scheme. It gets even worse. Those militia soldiers who did exist and who died fighting the rebels, well the corrupt officials would embezzle their death benefits, so a ton of mourning families got nothing and this had the disgusting side effect of creating an incentive for corrupt officers to have more of their soldiers die on the battlefield. The Militia related expenses would claim at least half the war effort funding according to Jiaqing who discovered the racket. A scholar in Hubei said this of the situation    “At first they nibbled away like worms, gradually taking more and more until they were gulping like whales. In the beginning, their embezzlements could be reckoned in hundreds and thousands of taels, but presently nothing less than ten thousand would attract notice. Soon amounts ran to scores of thousands, then to hundreds of thousands, then to millions.” Emperor Qianlong expected an easy victory over the White Lotus, but the war was not ending. After reading so many countless reports of victories over the rebels, Qianlong because frustrated and confused as to why the White Lotus rebels did not submit. By 1799, the cost of the war was reaching nearly 100 million taels of silver, an unbelievable sum that had completely exhausted the treasury surplus and there still was no end in sight. Emperor Qianlong spent his last years of life losing his mind to the rebellion and died in a position of helplessness with the treasury emptied. Jiaqing did not have an enviable start to his reign. He was a broad, fat man with a talent for archery and was left with a clean up job that was simply immense. He had been forced to suffer the indemnity of being enthroned in 1796 only to find out he was a puppet and that his father was not even in charge, it was Heshen. He was in his 40's and quite powerless as long as his father remained alive. The day after Emperor Qianlong died in 1799, one of Jiaqings first major acts was to order the arrest of Heshen, boom. There was a swift and very publicized trial where the board of punishments found Heshen to be guilty of a long list of corruption related charges and the sentence would be death. Because Heshen held one of the highest ranks in the court he was allowed to strangle himself with a silk cord, a privilege considered more honorable than having your head cut off. Although the execution of Heshen was symbolically cathartic, it did little to stop the rot of corruption within the government. Heshen was blamed for just about all the sins of the time, as if he alone dragged the empire down…though one could argue he certainly provided a helping hand. All Heshens misdeeds were laid to bare and his enormous wealth was unimaginable.    Heshen had a sprawling mansion of over 730 rooms. In his secondary residence there were 620 rooms. He held landholdings of over 120,000 acres of productive farmland. All the stories you can imagine were there, he had golden chopsticks, silver place settings for banquets, entire rooms filled with jewels, jade and other riches. He owned 10 banks, 10 pawnshops and millions upon millions of taels of silver hoarded into them. Apparently one wall in his main residence turned out to be filled with 5000 pounds of gold bullion if its to be believed. One extremely overexaggerated estimate his sum worth was around 800 million taels of silver, thats around  1.5 billion at the time, around 4 times the entire gross domestic product of the United States of America. More conservative estimates are at around 80 million taels of silver, which was more than the entire treasury surplus that preceded the White Lotus war and enough to make Heshen as wealthy as the Emperor!   After dealing with Heshen, Jiaqing began a campaign against the corruption in the government. However, Jiaqing understood how an anti corruption campaign could fall into chaos and become a general purge, so he allowed it to peter out pretty quick. What did happen, was the Qing government saw a lot of old scores settled and factionalism rose amongst officials. The first order of business after dealing with Heshen was obviously the White Lotus war. The day after Qianlong's death, Jiaqing issued an edict naming the suppression of antigovernment religious sects as the dynasty's most urgent priority. Jiaqing rallied against the corrupt military officers accusing them of dragging out the war in order to fill their pockets. He laid blame for the insurrection upon the civil servants who extorted the peasants. “The peasants enjoy few fruits from their labor. So how can they possibly supply such insatiable demands? It is the local officials who provoked these rebellions”.    Emperor Jiaqing began removing corrupt and incompetent military officials to try and replace them with better men, but the reality at the time was quite thin pickings. Most of the Manchu generals of his father or grandfathers generation were dead or far too old to lead. The younger generation were not born into the same world as their parents. If you've ever listened to Dan Carlin's podcast and yes I am nothing but a mere fanboy, he often makes the analogy of how empires go soft. The old quasi proverb of old wooden shoes going up the stairs and soft silken sandals going down them. This new generation of Manchu did not live the hardened lifestyle of their ancestors, they were living in a world of luxury now. A ton of the younger generation were also tainted by the Heshen click. Yet there was a minority of great warriors and some of the old guard so to say that had won Emperor Qianlong some victories back in the day. The very best of them was a physically enduring Manchu named Eldemboo. At 51 years old in the year of 1799 he was selected to lead the White Lotus suppression. He was quite old, but experienced, ruthless and said to be incorruptible.    Elemboo's had been part of campaigns in the 1770's to bring parts of the frontiers under the Qing Yolk. He fought the Burmese in southern Yunnan. He fought during the Tibetan rebellion in the1770's, during a muslim uprising in Gansu in 1784, helped put down a rebellion in Taiwan in 1787 and served in the far west against the Gurkhas in Tibet and Nepal in the 1790s. By 1797 he was a Lt-general who had just succeeded in suppressing a Miao ethnic uprising in Hunan province. The campaign against the White Lotus faced a crucial problem, that of mobility. The rebels required little in terms of weaponry and could get pretty much anything on the go from just about any village. They did not construct elaborate camps, they were accustomed to the mountains and forests and could carry out guerilla warfare at a moments notice. The Qing military was another beast altogether. It required enormous logistical operations to move its food, matchlock muskets, ammunition, powder, bows and arrows, this all required carts and beasts of burden. Usually these logistics were not a problem, but for mountains and forest regions it was a nightmare. The rebels understood the advantage and made sure to take up positions in the worst possible places for such logistics.    Because of these logistical problems the Qing forces had been simply setting up stations in fixed positions hoping to cast a net around rebel pockets. Many commanders simply did not have the stomach to march into forests or up mountain sides to chase an enemy that would use every obstacle against them. Eldemboo unlike his predecessor commanders not only was willing to venture into the forests and mountains, but was perfectly willing to endure the hardship of such ventures alongside his men. A new approach was necessary for the campaign. Eldemboo called for “jianbi qingye” “fortify the walls and clear the countryside”. The idea was two fold, first to separate the good peasants from those who would support the White Lotus, by concentrating them in places of safety ie, behind fortified encampments known as baozhai. In these Baozhai, some peasants would be trained as militia to defend their respective camps. The second idea was to clear the countryside, by moving all the grain harvest and food stores away and into the Baozhai where all the good peasants would be taking refuge. The hope was the rebels would eventually be unable to scavenge food from the emptied countryside and would be forced to come out of their hiding and fight the government forces on their terms.   Under the command of Eldemboo, the jianbi qingye strategy was implemented throughout the war zone. Hundreds of fortified camps were in the wartorn provinces. The fortified camps held strong walls and deep moats. The militiamen would defend them and not be taken out on campaigns that earlier had caused so much havoc upon the populace. The new role of the militiamen was to protect their own families, neighbors and such and thus they were far less likely to fall into banditry. While the quote “good” population concentrated in their Baozhai, defended by their good militiamen, Eldemboo's manchu and Han troops were now free to campaign at will through any wartorn province. Soon Eldemboo began producing a string of victories over the weakened rebel forces. By early 1803, Eldemboo's campaign had moved into its final phase, a brutal mop up operation. The remnants of the broken rebels needed to be crushed and the demilitarization of all the militiamen needed to gradually begin.  Emperor Jiaqing warned his generals not to relax in their campaigns prematurely. “Though the main disease is cured, there are boils and sores that remain. If even a single rebel is left alive, it would be enough for them to keep spreading and growing”. Emperor Jiaqing's generals heeded his words and continued to ruthlessly crush the remnants of the rebels. A systematic program of pacification was enacted. The “good” populace was continuously resettled into the fortified cities, while the Qing forces pursued and exterminated the rebel guerrilla bands, though it should be noted they did give amnesty to many rebels who deserted. It was the combination of military and social policies that were winning the day. Qing administrators seized and destroyed all White Lotus scriptures they could find in the warzones.  By the late summer of 1803, some of Jiaqing's commanders reported back to him that after 8 years of extermination efforts against the White Lotus in the 3 provinces, it seemed for all intensive purposes the job was complete. In early 1804, Eldemboo traveled back to Beijing and returned his carved seal of authority to the Emperor, signifying that the war was over. It would be the last great victory of Eldemboo's very long career. The next year at the age of 57 Eldemboo died and with him the last of that hardened generation. In 1805, Emperor Jiaqing was able to address the empire without the ongoing drain of resources due to the White Lotus War.   It was a very bitter victory, most rebellions are. A chinese scholar wrote a few decades later that it was estimated that several hundred thousand rebels had been killed during the war. For the governmental forces, militiamen and countless civilians who died of war and starvation the scholar simply stated it could not be calculated. There was also no way to differentiate the White Lotus from the rebels as there were countless groups rebelling for differing reasons.   A major problem with the White Lotus Rebellion aside from the death and horror was the loss of prestige for the Qing military. There was a sort of myth of invincibility for the Manchu warriors, hell they had conquered the Ming Dynasty afterall. But the scale of damage caused by the White Lotus Rebellion was eye opening, it took the Qing 8 years to quell it! And quell it is a strong word, for the White Lotus were not truly gone or anything, there would be sporadic revolts throughout the early 19th century, just not on the same scale as the 8 year war. The Manchu army of the early 19th century was not the same generation that once conquered the Ming. The wooden shoes were being cast off and silky slippers were starting to become the norm so to say for you Dan Carlin fans. To make everything much worse, the adoption of training and hiring militia's would have a devastating effect on the Qing dynasty until its demise in the 20th century. This was not a unique problem for China, many empires fell for this same reason. Take example the Egyptian empire under the Ptolemy's. Under the reign of Ptolemy IV Philophater the military was forced to hire local native Egyptians in large numbers for the first time to deal with the 4th Syrian war of 219-217BC. Prior to this war, the Ptolemiac empire had a military consisted mostly of Greeks and for a very important reason, they did not want to train or arm the native population who did not like them very much. When their backs were against the wall they trained around 30,000 native egyptians as Phalangites and hell it paid off during the battle of Raphia when they smashed the army of Antiochus III. The Ptolemies had finally ended what was an ongoing manpower problem. Oh and then the trained and armed Egyptians rebelled and created a separate kingdom that lasted 20 years. It was an enormous turning point in Ptolemaic history and a bitter lesson.  For the Qing the hiring of militia armies will occur on countless occasions for countless reasons, but one thing is for sure it is part of a long list of reasons as to why the great dynasty will crumble.    I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me.  The once mighty Qing have proven to be not so mighty anymore. The 8 year White Lotus Rebellion was quelled, but at what cost to the empire? With the death of Eldemboo came also the deaths of a generation of strong warriors. And while this rebellion was going on, something else was afoot, this time not an internal issue, but a growing external one. 

Friday, 1 July 2022   Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. Acts 8:26   With the account concerning Peter and John completed, the narrative now returns to Philip, beginning with, “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip.” As always, the word “angel” signifies a messenger. Nothing more is said to further define its meaning at this time, but in both 8:29 and 8:39, the Spirit is mentioned as communicating with or physically transporting him.   As this is the case, it may be that the “messenger” of the Lord is a dream, a vision, or by direct communication from the Spirit. But because that is not explicitly mentioned, this is only speculation. Regardless of this, Philip is given a direct communication from the Lord through a messenger, “saying, ‘Arise.'”   It is a way of indicating that he must now take action according to the word of the Lord. The last time he was mentioned was in Acts 8:13. What is being instructed now is probably while he is still in Samaria. With the apostles there or having left (depending on when this call to him is made), he now has a new charge set before him. One can assume that because of his faithfulness in evangelizing, he is being personally selected to continue on with the Lord's unfolding of the redemptive narrative.   As such, the messenger continues with, “and go toward the south.” As he is in Samaria, it would be to the south of that. The specific directions are being given for a specific purpose which will be revealed in the coming verses. What occurs will bring about a conversion that fits a pattern that goes all the way back to the early Genesis narrative. The Lord is purposefully directing Philip to represent this pattern for the New Testament.   In order to do so, Philip is to go toward the south “along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” Here, a word is introduced that is found only one more time, in Acts 22:6, mesémbria, and which is translated as “south.” It is a compound word coming from mesos, meaning “middle,” and hémera, meaning “day.” Hence, it means “mid-day.”    All translations say “south” because it is where the sun is at mid-day. However, it could just as easily be that Philip is being told, “Rise up and go toward mid-day to the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” The reason for this is that people would not want to travel in such a hot place at a time like this. Instead, it would be much less taxing to go early in the morning when it was cool.   Gaza, or Azzah, means “Strong,” or “Strong Place.” It was granted to Israel as a part of their inheritance when the borders were originally defined in Numbers 34. It was then assigned to Judah in Joshua 15:47. For a historical view of the location, Charles Ellicott provides the following:   “The history of the city so named (appearing at times in the English version—Deuteronomy 2:23; 1Kings 4:24; Jeremiah 25:20—as Azzah) goes even as far back as that of Damascus, in the early records of Israel. It was the southernmost or border-city of the early Canaanites (Genesis 10:19), and was occupied first by the Avim, and then by the Caphtorim (Deuteronomy 2:23). Joshua was unable to conquer it (Joshua 10:41; Joshua 11:22). The tribe of Judah held it for a short time (Judges 1:18), but it soon fell into the hands of the Philistines (Judges 3:3; Judges 13:1), and though attacked by Samson, was held by them during the times of Samuel, Saul, and David (1Samuel 6:17; 1Samuel 14:52; 2Samuel 21:15). Solomon (1Kings 4:24), and later on Hezekiah (2Kings 18:8), attacked it. It resisted Alexander the Great during a siege of five months, and was an important military position, the very key of the country, during the struggles between the Ptolemies and the Seleucidæ, and in the wars of the Maccabees (1 Maccabees 11:61).”   The reason for the specificity concerning what to do (and/or when to do it) is explained by Vincent's Word Studies –   “There were several roads from Jerusalem to Gaza. One is mentioned by the way of Bethlehem to Hebron, and thence through a region actually called a desert.”   In order to ensure that the divinely planned meeting that is intended to happen comes about, Philip is given exacting instruction. As such, it could be that he is being told to take the south road, or if “mid-day” is intended, the correct road to take would still be known based on the final words of the verse, which say, “This is desert.”   If “south” is meant, then these words now may be Luke's explaining the directions of the messenger. If “mid-day” is meant, then this is the messenger's explanation of which of the two roads to take. Either way, it is known by Philip to go on a particular road down to Gaza, and it very well may be at a particular time of day. The latter seems quite possible based on the events that will come about in the verses ahead.   Life application: The events taking place in Acts are often given with very specific instructions to those who are to carry them out. A plan is being worked out, and patterns and parallels to other parts of the Bible are being completed now in Acts. Only in referring to the Old Testament can these be understood.   God is revealing to us the redemption of man. But man isn't just one line of people, even if all people descend from one man. Rather, there are records of who various people groups are, and we are seeing the divinely unfolding plan of God for those groups of people. Some were to be exterminated for His sovereign reasons. And yet, even in the extermination of those people groups, there are those who are spared. One example is seen in the instructions to Israel –   “But of the cities of these peoples which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance, you shall let nothing that breathes remain alive, 17 but you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittite and the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, just as the Lord your God has commanded you, 18 lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the Lord your God.” Deuteronomy 20:16-18   Among those in this group who Israel failed to exterminate are several people who became key figures in the redemptive narrative, such as Rahab the harlot, Uriah the Hittite whose wife was Bathsheba, and Araunah the Jebusite. Jesus descends from both Rahab and Bathsheba, and He holds the title to real estate because of the record of a purchase made from Araunah that is found in 2 Samuel. None of these things occurred by accident, even if Israel failed to do as they were instructed.   If you feel you are either unimportant or that your role in God's plans and designs is insignificant, you are incorrect. These people probably felt just the same way. And yet, they became central figures in what God was doing. And you will be a central part of what God is doing as well. Metaphors are used concerning believers such as “living stones” or “pillars” in the temple that the Lord is building.   A temple cannot stand without proper support. As such, it cannot stand without you. God has figured you in as a most important part of what He is creating. Be pleased to know this.   Lord God, thank You that we are counted as important parts of what You are doing. You hold all of the power of the universe, and more, in Your hands, and yet You have determined that we are useful in the temple You are building where we will dwell with You forever. Thank You that You have such care, even of us. Amen.  

The Story of God's People Stuck in the Middle of a Mess They Didn't Make! Today, Pastor Michael is continuing his study on Daniel and today we're in Chapter 11. Even if you've been reading the Bible a long time, Daniel 11 is one of those complicated chapters.  Thankfully, Michael starts out with prairie dogs and that has to be a good thing.  His prairie dogs are living happy in their prairie dog home, only to find a herd of Bison to the north and south of their home.  They are seriously hoping these buffaloes move along.  A humungous bull buffalo steps out from each side and have a huge fight.  Big problem for the prairie dogs!  This fight is taking place right in the middle of their prairie dog town! So, this fight, goes on for years.  Whenever one buffalo dies, another one replaces him.  So, the buffaloes and prairie dogs are in a generational issue; why on earth didn't the prairie dogs just leave?   They didn't leave because there were buffaloes everywhere!  No matter where they went, they'd run into more buffalo.  No where to go.  Plus they're little prairie dogs; what can they do to big buffaloes?  In the end, they were ‘getting by'.   One day, a big buffalo from the northern side comes into the fight and finally notices the prairie dogs.  And he starts stepping on the prairie dogs!  Andy, is the big, mean buffalo and he is the worst!  The prairie dogs finally band together, band up, and for a little while, Andy is gone.  But there is a story, in prairie dog lore that there will be a new, meaner buffalo that will be forthcoming, some day. This, in a nutshell, is the story of Daniel 11.  But without the prairie dogs. In the analogy, however, the prairie dogs are God's people, trying to make a life.  The buffaloes are the two kingdoms of Greece, always fighting in the Promised Land, wreaking all kinds of havoc to the Jews.  Who were stuck in the middle of a situation that was mostly out of their control. (CSB Baker Illustrated Bible Study Notes) 11:2–20. The detailed description of the interrelationship between the kings of the south and the kings of the north in Dn 11 has long challenged biblical scholars. The angel reveals to Daniel that three more kings (Cambyses, Smerdis, Darius Hystaspis?) will rule over Persia. The fourth (Xerxes I?) will try to incorporate Greece into the Persian Empire. Upon the death of Alexander the Great of Greece (“a warrior king,” 11:3), his kingdom was divided into four parts: Macedonia, Thrace, Syria (“the king of the North,” or the Seleucids), and Egypt (“the king of the South,” or the Ptolemies). Daniel 11:5–20 relates the rivalry and wars between the Ptolemies and Seleucids until the appearance of Antiochus Epiphanes. The heart of this story, is everyday people.   As people today, we also find ourselves in situations we didn't create and that we have to live in.  We can be stuck in struggles that we didn't cause, decisions made by people unattached to us.  The lesson here is pertinent to us today, just as it was to the Jews so many millennia ago. And everyday people can take heart in the fact that struggles and trials do not destroy faith.  It only destroys what we think is faith.   Verses can be found today in Daniel 11 and Romans 8: 28. Scripture quotations marked CSB have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Daniel 11 Part 3: Antichrist Future | There is nothing else anywhere - not in any other holy book, not in any history books, not even anywhere else in the Bible - quite like Daniel 11. In one chapter, we have 135 specific and detailed prophecies covering 375 years of future history.Journey 3 | Foundations. Our third journey brings us to back to the foundations of the faith, and delivers some of the greatest stories and characters in the Bible. Genesis recounts the back story for all mankind and begins God's plan for redemption. Daniel presents phenomenal prophecies and the big picture of God's Kingdom, and Romans lays out the heart of the gospel with powerful answers to tough questions. This is Foundations. (84 days)Teacher: Kris LanghamAbout TTW: When the Bible is confusing, Through the Word explains it with clear and concise audio guides for every chapter. The TTW Podcast follows 19 Journeys covering every book and chapter in the Bible. Each journey is an epic adventure through several Bible books, as your favorite pastors explain each chapter with clear explanation and insightful application. Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day, and join us for all 19 Journeys on the TTW podcast or TTW app!Get the App: https://throughtheword.orgContact: https://throughtheword.org/contactDonate: https://throughtheword.org/givingDaniel 11 Themes: History, Greece, Rome, Prophecy, AntichristDaniel 11 Tags: history, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Ptolemies, ptolemy, Egypt, Damascus, King of North, King of South, Antiochus Epiphanes, Antichrist, Jerusalem, temple, abomination, desolation, end timesKey Verses: Quotes: Audio & Text © 2011-2021 Through the Word™ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.Bible Quotes: The Holy Bible New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Daniel 11 Part 2: Antichrist Past | There is nothing else anywhere - not in any other holy book, not in any history books, not even anywhere else in the Bible - quite like Daniel 11. In one chapter, we have 135 specific and detailed prophecies covering 375 years of future history.Journey 3 | Foundations. Our third journey brings us to back to the foundations of the faith, and delivers some of the greatest stories and characters in the Bible. Genesis recounts the back story for all mankind and begins God's plan for redemption. Daniel presents phenomenal prophecies and the big picture of God's Kingdom, and Romans lays out the heart of the gospel with powerful answers to tough questions. This is Foundations. (84 days)Teacher: Kris LanghamAbout TTW: When the Bible is confusing, Through the Word explains it with clear and concise audio guides for every chapter. The TTW Podcast follows 19 Journeys covering every book and chapter in the Bible. Each journey is an epic adventure through several Bible books, as your favorite pastors explain each chapter with clear explanation and insightful application. Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day, and join us for all 19 Journeys on the TTW podcast or TTW app!Get the App: https://throughtheword.orgContact: https://throughtheword.org/contactDonate: https://throughtheword.org/givingDaniel 11 Themes: History, Greece, Rome, Prophecy, AntichristDaniel 11 Tags: history, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Ptolemies, ptolemy, Egypt, Damascus, King of North, King of South, Antiochus Epiphanes, Antichrist, Jerusalem, temple, abomination, desolation, end timesKey Verses: Quotes: Audio & Text © 2011-2021 Through the Word™ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.Bible Quotes: The Holy Bible New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Daniel 11 Part 1: Prophecy with Precision | There is nothing else anywhere - not in any other holy book, not in any history books, not even anywhere else in the Bible - quite like Daniel 11. In one chapter, we have 135 specific and detailed prophecies covering 375 years of future history.Journey 3 | Foundations. Our third journey brings us to back to the foundations of the faith, and delivers some of the greatest stories and characters in the Bible. Genesis recounts the back story for all mankind and begins God's plan for redemption. Daniel presents phenomenal prophecies and the big picture of God's Kingdom, and Romans lays out the heart of the gospel with powerful answers to tough questions. This is Foundations. (84 days)Teacher: Kris LanghamAbout TTW: When the Bible is confusing, Through the Word explains it with clear and concise audio guides for every chapter. The TTW Podcast follows 19 Journeys covering every book and chapter in the Bible. Each journey is an epic adventure through several Bible books, as your favorite pastors explain each chapter with clear explanation and insightful application. Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day, and join us for all 19 Journeys on the TTW podcast or TTW app!Get the App: https://throughtheword.orgContact: https://throughtheword.org/contactDonate: https://throughtheword.org/givingDaniel 11 Themes: History, Greece, Rome, ProphecyDaniel 11 Tags: history, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Ptolemies, ptolemy, Egypt, Damascus, King of North, King of SouthKey Verses: Quotes: Audio & Text © 2011-2021 Through the Word™ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.Bible Quotes: The Holy Bible New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Episode 101 Let's talk about reincarnation, end times prophecies, and the shapes of our stories today. Kendra helps us to think deeply about how the shape of time informs the shape of our story and the ways that we make meaning in the universe.    Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast   More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/   produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis    Transcript  This transcript was automatically generated by www.otter.ai, and as such contains errors (especially when multiple people are talking). As the AI learns our voices, the transcripts will improve. We hope it is helpful even with the errors.   Zack Jackson 00:04 You are listening to the down the wormhole podcast exploring the strange and fascinating relationship between science and religion. This week our hosts are Zack Jackson, UCC pastor and Reading Pennsylvania and I am most productive when everyone else is asleep at night,   Ian Binns 00:22 Ian Binns Associate Professor of elementary science education at UNC Charlotte, my most productive time of the day, sadly varies. Because of my ADD, I cannot pick a particular time and say that's it. It just says that it happens. And when it does I get really frustrated if people get me out of that moment, because it takes hours to get into it. So, yeah,   Kendra Holt-Moore 00:51 Kendra Holt, more assistant professor of religion at Bethany College in Lindsborg Kansas. And I used to be able to say, I was most productive at night, because I am a night owl, but the older I get, the more that varies. And I also don't feel like there is a particular time that works best if you just let the Spirit lead.   Zack Jackson 01:15 Just tired all the time. Yeah.   Kendra Holt-Moore 01:19 Constant exhaustion, and just snippets of bursts of energy. So why high? You ask?   Zack Jackson 01:38 I was asking, I was asking it very hard in my head. Anticipating that why, why Kendra answer? Why, why?   Kendra Holt-Moore 01:48 Why? Why ever? Why? Well, let me tell you, I have an answer for you. Oh, thank God. So we, we thought that today, we would talk about shapes of time, who. So shapes of time. So just to kind of start out so whenever I teach students, typically it's in like a world religions or an intro to religion class this semester. It was a world religions class, but when I'm having a conversation, in a classroom with students about different, you know, religious traditions, and how, like, what are some of the things that we can compare safely without sort of centralizing religious traditions. And one fun conversation I like to start with somewhere near the beginning of the semester, is to talk about shapes of time. And what I mean by that is, you know, cyclical versus linear conceptions of time, or, you know, some might argue also, like spiral shapes of time. And so the way this looks when I bring it up to my students is I, I typically use for my examples, Hinduism, or Buddhism, and Christianity. And I draw up on the board, just, you know, a simple like circle, and a simple, like, horizontal line, as just like two examples of shapes the circle and this horizontal line. And I talked about how, you know, time is something that we sort of take take for granted, as it's just sort of permeates everything, but we don't, we're not always like thinking about how our understanding of time, you know, like, really impacts us necessarily, or maybe I shouldn't speak for you all, but I don't always think about how time itself is like impacting my day to day, except when I'm trying very hard to get something done. And time is just slipping away that moment, or I become conscious of time, but on a grand scale. It's something that's sort of taken as just the way things are. And the way that we think about time, is I think we kind of it's easy to sort of assume, that are sort of grand notions of time and how time unfolds, that that there's nothing too complicated or like interesting about that necessarily. And, and so when I draw up this like circle and line on the board for my students, one of the conversations that I'm trying to get started is how we across like, religious and cultural traditions, we actually have very different understandings of, of of time. Time and by time I'm not not talking in this moment necessarily about like, scientific like theory of relativity, you know, kind of technical explanations of like space time. But like, cultural and social understandings of like what will happen, what has happened, what is happening and what will happen to us socially and culturally. And, and so, the circle on the board then is what I offer as like a Hindu or Buddhist example of cycles of time with regards to reincarnation and how, you know, the human soul if we're talking about Hinduism, but not not really a soul, if we're talking about Buddhism, but the the person, and the person's existence, moves through a cycle of time that is stuck in this cycle of reincarnation, of, of birth, life, death, rebirth, and that this is, the circle is, is known as samsara, if you're using a Hindu terminology and conceptions of time in samsara, is a cycle that you want to get out of. So samsara is like the way things are, from a Hindu or Buddhist perspective, in terms of thinking about time and how we exist in time, but samsara is not desirable, there are ways that you can build up better karma and be reincarnated in a way that is better or worse, contingent upon, like what kind of karma you built in your current life. But ultimately, the goal in in that version of cyclical time is to get out of the cycle to be released from the cycle. But the cycle can go on and on and on. And you can have, you know, hundreds and hundreds of reincarnations, and there's no like you, you have to there are certain practices and things you have to do in order to be released from the cycle. And, and so, you know, one of the we can put this in the show notes, but there's an article that has like some helpful kind of visuals, but I want to just kind of talk about, like, the way that this cycle of time for Buddhism is represented. And it's the Buddhist wheel of life. And you there are a lot of different I mean, if you just Google that, like, you'll find all kinds of really colorful, vibrant images that come up of this wheel of life. But the wheel of life, you can see like there are different realms, in the Buddhist wheel of life. And those are sort of the possibilities for how you reincarnate into the cycle of samsara. And so you can see like, why now, hopefully, like there's this distinction between like a cycle versus linear time, because there's not, there's not like one specific end goal that is clear to you, from the perspective of your current life, if you have the cyclical notion of time. I mean, yes, like ultimate release from it, you can see that as an end goal, but like the reincarnation cycle, it means that you, you will, again, experience what you have already experienced, you will again, experience birth, which is something that you already have experienced in the past, you will again experience you know, life insofar as you have experienced it, and you know, death will happen again and again. And again, it's not a single kind of destination point until you have achieved the right tools and practices to get out of that cycle. And so you can kind of think about like, how that might inform a person to like navigate through life itself. The other so like the linear line on the board, I uses Christianity, but I think it also applies pretty well to like the Abrahamic traditions in general of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, but I use Christianity in particular, because there's so much that has been written about Christian like apocalyptic. You know, eschatology, which is a fancy word meaning, like, study of in things, or you know, like end of time, and, and another, there are some images that we can also share, I think in the show notes of this version of Christian eschatology called Christian dispensationalism. There are different ways to kind of label this to like you may have heard Christian primo lineal dispensationalism, post millennial dispensationalism, however you slice it, it is a mouthful of a thing to say dispensationalism. But there are images, we can share that kind of show that in this version of Christian eschatology, it's not how everyone sees the end of time. But in this version of Christian eschatology that's popular in, especially some circles of like, Christian, like fundamentalism, types of theology or, you know, like some evangelical theologies, there are seven dispensations of time, and that time moves in a linear fashion. And a dispensation is just like a stage of time, I think that's the way I would describe it more simply because dispensation is also kind of a buzzy word. In this context, but there are, you know, like stages of time, that kind of unfold in this linear fashion, but the point is that we're not moving in a cycle with this conception of time, we're moving towards an end point that is the apocalyptic end of time. And after the end of time, eternity unfolds forever and ever. And it just kind of goes on in this linear, like, one, one way, there's a path a direction, and we move in that direction. And it's kind of inevitable, like, you can't really stop it from unfolding it's going to happen. And, you know, the some of these dispensations for Christian dispensationalism you have, like, the age of innocence, and that's, like, you know, Adam and Eve, you have you go up through like, 234567. But if the, I mean, I could like list all of those, but I'm, kind of move quickly. I'm timing myself this time, so that I'm not going like way over.   Zack Jackson 11:59 So it's like innocence. No innocence. Gods here, Gods there. Now it's Israel. Now. It's now it's Jesus. Now it's Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's also inherently kind of anti semitic. Yeah, in that dispensationalism, leaves Jews behind, but go on.   Kendra Holt-Moore 12:17 So yeah, you have like innocence, stage one, stage two conscience, stage three, human government, stage four, promise, stage five, loss, stage six, Grace, stage seven kingdom age. And there are, you know, specific things that happen in each of those stages that kind of map on to biblical stories, and the stages that map on to like the time of Moses, and, um, you know, just like the time of Abraham. And all of these stages as they unfold, it's like, sort of this like, progression of like God's plan for time. And the way that that ends, is with this seventh dispensation, the kingdom age where Jesus returns and rains on Earth for 1000 years, and, you know, brings peace, and, you know, after that time is kind of over, there's like the final judgment, the white throne judgment, and then time ends and eternity begins. And that, that's kind of the the ending of this, like premillennial dispensationalist. Christian theology again, sorry, for the long buzzy terminology. But the point is that this version of time, is, is is different, like it's, it has that linear shape to it. And one of the things that I think is kind of interesting about this understanding of time, and it's, there's this like piece of inevitability. And it's not the only version of like, like, this is, I think, kind of a common kind of trope in like apocalyptic literature and thought is like, the apocalypse is coming, eventually, like, it's inevitable. And that means that you can't fight it and in some ways, believing in the inevitability of the apocalyptic moment of end of time can make some people sort of lean into that and welcome that end of time moment, if it means that the there sort of conception of time will actually like, ultimately benefit them. So for example, in like this Christian dispensationalist, Premillennialism version of the entire time. Christians who hold this, believe that they'll be gone there'll be sort of taken away by God out of out of the earth out of time so that they don't have to experience the violence and trauma of the apocalypse at Self, and that they will be, you know, held close, near and dear and safe with God and protected from the end of times. And so what this means is you have Christians who hold to this kind of eschatology are, I think more likely to say things like, well, let's just like let it all burn, because we're not going to be here anyway, like, only the unsaved will be sort of judged and condemned, but you know, Christians will be safe. So any violence that happens ultimately, it's, it's not going to affect us in the end and this kind of eternal way. And, and so I think the kind of extreme response through that kind of lens of time is, it can doesn't always have to, but it can lend itself to apathy, and even like a condoning of, you know, destruction and violence. And this is me sort of using that as an example, because there was actually an article that was published very recently in the Atlantic about this language like cautioning against the language of a new civil war that's like impending in the United States. And that the whole article is pretty interesting. But there's this line that caught my eye. And it says, you know, a several paragraphs down. And I'll just kind of like read the couple of sentences for free all that says, quote, There is a very deep strain of apocalyptic fantasy in fundamentalist Christianity, Armageddon may be horrible, but it is not to be feared because it will be the harbinger of eternal bliss for the elect and eternal damnation for their foes, on what used to be referred to as the far right, that perhaps should now simply be called the armed wing of the Republican Party. The imminence of Civil War is a given and quote, and, and that caught my eye because it's really talking about a shape of time. And, you know, like, the question that kind of arises from that, for me is like, what, what are practical implications in our behavior? When we think about, like, what our own shapes of time are? Do we have notions that lead us to an inevitable end? Is that something that we experienced over and over again? And like, is that just sort of philosophy or theological pondering? Or does that kind of impact us on this, like, deep on the ground level? And, and so that, that was, that was kind of where, where my mind was going, when I think about this, the shape of time? That's kind of why I have to start us here. No, well,   Ian Binns 18:09 says while you were talking about it, especially the last part, and I mean, y'all know, I don't have the theological background that you guys do. So a lot of times the words that are used in cotton, what are you talking about, but they may me just all of a sudden just reminded me of the Left Behind series? Yes, that was written the book series, right. And so   Kendra Holt-Moore 18:31 that is a great example, and that you have given us and reminded us that is Christian premillennial dispensationalism. Yeah. So now, translation, aka left behind,   Ian Binns 18:43 right, well, and I find it fascinating. So what's interesting is that I actually got into Reading this series in like 2000, it was when I was in the Peace Corps. And so when I was in the Peace Corps in Jamaica, and the main office in Kingston, I was had a library that we could go and just get books from and blah, blah, take with us back to our home and everything and and so I think that was the time I started getting into this series, because I saw it and I was calling God sounds kind of interesting. And so I started Reading it. And I was not very strong in my faith. Want to take that back. That's actually when I first started a Bible study, but it was a different time in my life, right? So I was 23 years old, 2223 different time of my life, different things going on. And I now that I looked it up, and just looked up left behind again to remind myself some of it and I'll be honest, I did not finish this series because I found it to be this is just my opinion. Some of the writing you know, again, I was not familiar with the language, the terminology that was being used and the description that you just provided Kendra, but there were parts of the books I found as I was going further for the series that I would skip hold sections because it felt like it was Reading the same thing I read in the book before, right? Like these long sermons from a character or whatever. And so it but I, I'm curious how would I approach the series now at this point in my life and at this point in my spiritual journey, right and starting to have a better understanding of time and just religion in general and what the underlying me I mean, I get what the meaning was, but like, talk about dismiss, dismiss, what is the word again? dispensationalism.   Zack Jackson 20:33 There you go. That word can you can approach that book series straight into the recycling bin if you'd like. Yeah,   Ian Binns 20:38 I don't think we have them anymore. I think like I ended up buying several of them and got rid of them.   Zack Jackson 20:42 That's Yes, pre trim these Corinne. Aspen's pre trib, premillennial dispensationalism is what that is essentially, with the millennial in the millennial and the pre millennial post millennial mid millennial that has to do with in Revelation talks about how there will be 1000 year reign of Christ. Before then Satan is allowed to return cause havoc, and then the final judgment. And so then the thought is the question is, when does that happen? So the pre millennial is that that hasn't happened yet. And that there will be this great time and then there'll be blah, blah, blah, then there's post millennial that's like, hey, no, that's where we are. Right now that this this kingdom age? Is is the millennial reign of Christ that the the age of the church or maybe that we're almost there. And then the trim part of that is not the trip. Yeah, the is the trick Great Tribulation, as in tribulation, right? The seven year tribulation that is foretold in Daniel and in Revelation. And at what point would the people of God be raptured out of it, so that only the unrighteous should suffer? There's some interpretations that Oh, before the tribulation, all the elect will be taken out. And that's what left behind is, there's some thought that it's midway through taken from a couple of phrases from Daniel, and then there's some that everyone will have to live through the whole thing only until the end, will then there'll be judgment on it all. And I mean, I was steeped in this stuff, my seventh grade Bible teacher had a timeline on the wall of the n times, with like, how many months in between events would happen, you know, the, the two witnesses would show up here, one of them would die, and then they'd raise and then there'd be, you know, the Antichrist would rise and he would have a mortal wound, and then he'd be healed. And then he'd be like, all along the way. We knew what the mark of the beast was going to be. And when it was going to happen, it was actually supposed to start happening on y2k. But then apparently, enough, people prayed and God delayed God's hand. Or so that's what they told me when it didn't happen. But it's, it's ironic to me that this group of people has latched on to second temple apocalyptic literature, which is this period of time, it's like a 300 year period, during the Second Temple of Jerusalem, where this genre starts to arise. They've taken that and applied it directly to this sort of straight line timeline that you're talking about Kendra, that, you know, this thing hasn't happened yet. But here are the signs to know when it's going to happen and what it's going to look like. And that goes from A to B to C to D onward until the end, it's a straight line. When that is the exact opposite of the way that second temple apocalyptic literature is written and met to be read. If you look at Daniel and parts of Jesus's little Apocalypse on the on the mountain and and the book of Revelation, and you know, all of the ones that didn't make it into the the Hebrew and Christian canons, they're all using coded language for things that are happening in the moment. Now, there's a great, great part in Daniel, in which they're talking about kings of the north, and kings of the south and marriages that between them and wars between them. And it's very clearly talking about the battles between the Seleucids and the Ptolemies. And like, historically, we know this, this is lining up exactly what it is until the desolation of the abomination of desolation. And then there's a straight war and then God comes down with his angels and saves the day. Which we know didn't happen, at least not in any kind of final sort of a way. So then, what do you do with that? Well, that's how all of them are written. They're all written with this great symbolism of things of awful apocalyptic sort of images. And, in the end Godwin's, and I say apocalyptic that word means to reveal to pull back the curtain. And so what that whole genre is doing is it says hey, You see these things happening in real life, but I'm going to pull back the curtain and show you the spiritual realities behind them. So you think Rome is this unstoppable force, but hey, pull back the curtain, and it's actually just this ugly dragon. And the ugly Dragon is going to be thrown into the pit of fire. So these books were meant to be read by people who are currently suffering, so that they can put themselves in the story. And then see that in the end, God rescues them. So in a way, second temple apocalyptic literature is like a green screen, in which generation upon generation upon generation can stand in front of it and put themselves in the story. So the, the beast from Revelation is originally Nero. And then, you know, it might be Domitian. And then it might be valerian. And then it might be Stalin, you know, like, you can put you can make the beast, any number of things, as it has been, I mean, Martin Luther said, that was the pope at one point. And, you know, for all intents and purposes, for him, it was, because that's the point is these, these, these prophetic visions are cycles of things that they're true because they keep happening. And then the point is, you get to put yourself in it, and then you get to see that God is faithful, and that you'll be brought through it at the end. And so to take that kind of genre of literature, and then to take that, that circle down that spiral, and to just stretch it out and say, All right, this is what it means. This is the start. And the end of the end times is just a It's such, it's so dishonest, and disingenuous. And it's it. It does violence to the Scriptures themselves.   Kendra Holt-Moore 26:54 It also sounds a little bit like, I don't know if you necessarily intended it this way back, but like the, it seems like people when they're in the moment, especially with this dislike genre of like apocalyptic literature, being in it. The those like apocalyptic tropes, like they, it feels linear, because it's like, the cycle that you are experiencing, but you don't see it as a cycle. And, you know, obviously, like we've kind of used the premillennial left behind type eschatology is that but like, the, it's kind of easier to identify the genre of literature as a cycle, if you're sort of using hindsight to see that this happens again, and again, and again. Is that Is that how you would characterize   Zack Jackson 27:48 that's a really good insight there. It doesn't feel like a cycle while you're in it. But I think that's the power of once you realize that it is. So then, you know, everything looks bleak right now in the world. It does. And it seems like the cups, the bowls of judgment are being poured out upon us all. So then to be able to keep turning through the book of Revelation to get to the part where death itself, hell itself is thrown into the pit of fire and destroyed. And then every knee boughs and every tongue confesses, and all things are made new, and there's streams of living water and to be able to get to that point. Is there some some comfort in that?   Ian Binns 28:35 Well, it seems like in and I want to go back to that series for a minute. That's right, the Left Behind series that, you know, you talked about zakat being kind of a way, he's I think this is what you were saying a way of it, almost, you know, it seems to me to the way it was written was to help people relate to it, right, and then see that there'll be saved at the end and those types of things. And that's a very generalization, overgeneralization, I guess. But it's interesting while Reading more about the series, the efforts to turn them into films, and how they keep trying to reboot it. And they're actually in the process of doing that now, of redoing the series again, to see if that gets get more attention to it, I guess, and to get more people on board, this particular series, I just find that fascinating of what it is they seem to be trying to do, and I'm part of that part of me will be curious to see how will they try to connect or will they tried to connect it politically? Right in some way that you know, I saw I remember in 2011, or something, I guess it was when Obama was running the second time. I think that was right. Yeah. Chuck Norris and his wife came out talking about that election and that proclaim that if Obama won reelection, it would begin the 1000 years of darkness Oh, yeah.   Kendra Holt-Moore 30:07 This is a political strategy because it works because it's drama. And it's like, you know, the religious affiliation of these stories. They're all encompassing, and it just moves people. And ah, yes, yes. The fact   Zack Jackson 30:24 that people think that this is the worst that humanity has ever been blows my mind like, have you read history? We used to murder people for sport. We're not. Yeah, there's not so bad things are not as bad as you think they are.   Ian Binns 30:39 Yeah. But it's just fascinating how they, they, you know, a percentage of the population kind of latches on to that messaging. And they're a powerful group of people, because especially when you talk about politics, you know, they vote, you know, you get them to vote. And that's how a lot of times, some of the bigger elections they win is because people know that if we can get the more fundamentalist, Christian and evangelical Christians out to vote that most likely they'll vote for the Republican candidate. And, you know, they go out numbers that can help. And so by tying in that argument that they use obviously didn't work because Obama won a second term. But I just found that so interesting that that was a perspective they were trying to use as a way to encourage people to vote is if you don't vote, if you don't vote for Romney, then the 1000 years of darkness will again,   Zack Jackson 31:37 evangelicals going if you don't vote for the Mormon, then that's outside years of darkness. Right? Which, you know, that's not a personal knock against Mormons, but just the those same evangelicals would not consider a Mormon, a Christian normally. But how do you come back from that, by the way, like, once you've gone totally nuclear, that the world is going to end and Satan himself will reign if this man gets elected? Like, how do you then say something about someone else? Like there's no higher? You can't go higher than that you've already gone nuclear. So   Kendra Holt-Moore 32:16 worse than the Antichrist, right?   Ian Binns 32:18 What do we do? Yeah, it's just seems like such an interesting way to live. And as I said, in fact, they're trying to redo this series again. And they're using the actor Kevin Sorbo. Who did, Hercules, right. No,   Zack Jackson 32:37 yes. And then every low budget Christian movie since then.   Ian Binns 32:41 Yep. And so and he is someone the right has, you know, latched on to and he that's he's found his niche. And so he's gonna star and direct in the new movie, I will only   Zack Jackson 32:52 watch it if Lucy Lawless is in it, as well as Xena Warrior Princess, not as anyone else.   Ian Binns 33:00 Yeah. Doubtful. It'll happen without   Zack Jackson 33:03 a man can dream.   Ian Binns 33:15 This right, anyway, sorry. I know, I keep going on tangent. But I just found fascinating.   Kendra Holt-Moore 33:19 I didn't know that I didn't realize that they were trying to like reboot the   Ian Binns 33:24 and this is from last month. Hmm.   Kendra Holt-Moore 33:27 Okay. Well, there you go. So I was, you know, talking, talking through this, you know, the shape shapes of time. And, you know, I kind of our plan for today's recording with my husband, Chad. And he told me of a helpful kind of connection that might be familiar to, to many of you, but there is a piece Well, first of all, there's a writer, he was an American writer, Kurt Vonnegut, who recorded I think it was kind of like a short lecture, but also published in several places about his early writing his like, I think it was his thesis on the shapes of stories. And so I just, I think that's a really interesting kind of connection here, as we're talking about the shapes of time. Like, are we really just talking about the shapes of stories, and Kurt Vonnegut had this whole sort of, like, charting out of different shapes of stories. And so, you know, he was like, writing and publishing has like a lot of novels and was thinking about, like, the structure of a narrative. And I think you can find, you know, his, his lecture online. I think it's like a 30 minute piece, but, you know, he talks through how, you know, when you're talking about like, any kind of job of story, there's like this stair step ladder where you're climbing upward things are going swimmingly. You know, the lovers, they fall in love, and they're like having a grand time. And they're, you know, giving each other flowers and walking, holding hands through the park. And, and then something happens. And this stair step ladder going upwards, suddenly crashes into a, you know, a desolate trough. And that trough, there's this low point, and then you have a low point that requires a creative solution, and then you start moving up on the incline again, and you know, maybe it flattens out, there's a plateau. And then maybe there's like another, a deeper crash, a deeper trough. And then the end of the story can maybe resolve coming again, out of the trough back up into an incline, that just keeps going up and up and up, and you have like your happy ending. And you know, I'm doing some heavy like paraphrasing of this shapes of stories, not something I had seen of his before. But like the point being that you can draw on like the same way that in my classes I draw like the circle and horizontal line to represent time qurbana gets it there's like a bunch of different shapes that you can put up on the board, variations of these shapes to you can have this staircase that goes up and then crashes down and then rises back up again, you can have something that looks more like a wave that bounces up and down, and up and down, and up and down, and up and down and just has, you know, twists and turns. And you can have a story that's just maybe it is a single horizontal line. And it's maybe a boring story where there's just nothing happens. And it's just plateau from beginning to end. And I you know, there are like shapes of stories that we are drawn to, and why are we drawn to those stories? Why would we prefer a story that has the, you know, peaks and valleys versus a story that's just a flat plateau all the way through? Is there you know, an excitement that comes with different shapes of stories? And like, why do we crave certain kinds of resolution at the end of a story. And it just is like, I think a really interesting and kind of perfect, like frame that Vonnegut's sort of offered that I think really maps on to the way that we think about these like big conceptions of time out of our cultural religious lenses, and that it seems that we, like we crave order, we crave orderliness. In the midst of you know, seeming chaos, that we want to feel like we have control, we want to feel a sense of meaning. And, and so, you know, I think like one way to sort of put put these shapes of time or shapes of stories and bring them together is that that's part of what's being offered to us. And you know, for better or worse, because the shapes are different. And they mean different things to different people. But I think the motivation of latching on to certain stories, is that sort of comfort that and like sense of belonging that we derive from particular shapes. So I don't know. I'm curious what what y'all think about that?   Zack Jackson 38:39 Yeah, reminds me of the end of the gospel of Mark. Which, yeah, Mark was written in the style of a Greek epic, which they don't all have perfect, happy endings. And the earliest manuscripts, it ends with, you know, the, the women come to the tomb, they find that it's, it's empty. There's, there's an angel who's like, Hey, check it out. He's not here. He's gone. He risen Hallelujah. And it ends with Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone because they were afraid. And that's how the book ends. But that only lasted like a couple 100 years, because then people added on to the end of it. And so all of the later manuscripts and like the ones that are like King James is based on the Latin Bibles, they all have this other lesson versus that's all like wrapping up the story, you know, the, like the end of the Lord of the Rings, where it's like, alright, well, then he appeared to two more of them. And then he appeared to everyone. And then he said, Go into all the world and preach the gospel. And then he said, I love you. I'm happy. I'll see you later. I left lunch in the fridge and everything got wrapped up in the end, and it was like they could not stand for the story tonight. And on a high note that it had to end there, or else they just felt weird about it.   Kendra Holt-Moore 40:07 I love that as an example, because it's like you go from a story shape that kind of trails off at the end and this sad sort of dangling like downward slope of trembling and fear to like the sharp upward incline of happiness and resolution, very different, very different emotional responses to   Zack Jackson 40:27 the last chapter of Ecclesiastes does the same thing. Where it's like some some later editor was like, this is just this needs, this needs a pick me up at the end, nobody's ever people are going to finish this and just be upset. So we need like, a happy ending, tacked on to the end of the bow on it. Right. And then they did the same thing to I Am Legend. Anybody ever see that? The book, the short story ends totally differently. It ends with this great like Twilight Zone esque reveal. And it's like dark, and it just ends. But Hollywood was like we can't do that we have to have a resolution, we have to have some kind of happy ending, people have to leave the theater feeling good in some way, shape, or form. Like they didn't just Well, anytime   Ian Binns 41:14 you think about with storytelling, you know, as we've already said, that having that nice ending is what people human nature is what we want, right? We want to build a wrap up something type deal. And so, you know, John, my son, John and I are right now watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe, then release order. And so he came, you know, maybe a month or so ago, he was just like, Hey, Dad, I really want to my friend watched Black Widow, I want to see Black Widow. And I said, Okay, that's great, but we're not seeing the others. It's not gonna make you're gonna miss some things. Oh, yeah. So what are you ready to start watching these? And he's like, oh, yeah, absolutely. So we started and we're watching an order of release, not chronological order. And so it makes me think about, you know, he and I were talking the other day, and yesterday, he was kind of trying to make sense of how they're all connected. We've gotten all the way through phase two, we just started Civil War last night. Captain America Civil War, right. And it makes he was talking about how they're all connected and stuff like that. But are they really like Captain America? The second one is really a sequel and what that means and, you know, part one, part two, and it made me think about Avengers. The third and fourth one, right. So Infinity War the way it ends, and then you have in game and and it was kind of pitched as a part one, part two aspect of things because Part One does not end. All happy go lucky as part two does at least the ends were things more wrapped up part one ends with a major cliffhanger. Right. And you think about films like that, like, for example, the last two Harry Potter movies, the four books seven. You know, they're both the Deathly Hallows, but it was part one, part two, part one did not end on a high note as part two debt. And so it ended with something that you're just kind of like, well, what and so but you knew it Part Two was comment. So the story wasn't over yet. Is my point. Right? And we love it for the story to be over and happy, as you said, and I think the two examples you gave from Scripture is just fascinating. I was not quite aware that they did that with Ecclesiastes, but I didn't know that. That's how Mark changed is that here was the original version, then they added on some things too, which I've always found really interesting. And to me, that was take that as a what does that say about the Bible? Right, you know, and those types of things, but anyway,   Zack Jackson 43:51 most people want to believe that things are gonna work out well for them. And when we are in a storyline, we put ourselves in that story. And we, you know, we then want the characters to come out on top, you know, unless you are a person who is just super pessimistic, you know, you know, somebody like, like, I don't know, Adam, who picked out Pan's Labyrinth for his movie early last year. And that movie ends spoiler alert, with like, a dead child. And yeah, it's like, oh, that's an awful ending. You know, something like Requiem for a Dream that just ends with awful tragedy. Some people like that, and I don't know why. Honestly.   Kendra Holt-Moore 44:47 I think it's like I think some, some of those stories can be really cathartic. Like, it's not that they're happy, but they reflect Something that you experience. And I think, like the cathartic experience of watching something that's super, super sad. I think what that gives people to some extent is a feeling that you're not alone and experiencing like deep sadness or trauma and that there's like a path. I mean, I guess if the story ends in, you know, death, I'm not sure that that maybe is a different message. But some of the stories that are really sad, there's still kind of a way forward through healing. And healing is really hard. And not, you know, it's not like a simple, straightforward, like, wrapped up in a bow type of process. And it's just, I think there's something that's comforting in seeing that being reflected in all its like ugliness and darkness, that kind of counter intuitively facilitates a kind of healing or a feeling of being seen. But that's a very different kind of story that I think then, you know, what we've been talking about with the sort of nice resolution that is happy, but it's, yeah, it's a different shape, with a different kind of purpose, I think. And then there's also the kind of, you know, like, storytelling problem, where people don't want the story to end. And so the story just like drags on and on and like, you think of like, a TV show that is, like, 10 seasons too long. And it's like, why didn't you just have a plan to do this? Well, in three seasons, phrase, and on and on, and on, and on, and on, and on and on.   Ian Binns 46:46 We gave that up a long time ago.   Kendra Holt-Moore 46:50 But yeah, like, Why, what's the kind of motivation of that shape, and I think it's, it's like, related to the desire to want things to work out well, in the end. But I think people also want to keep experiencing that, that like, happy moment or resolution until, like, feel part of a story for as long as possible. When, you know, really, like all stories, they do come to an end or they at least change over time. And so there's like, I think, I think we all kind of have an impulse or like motivation to find like permanence in like goodness, or permanence and like stability. And that can like influence the way that we tell stories and sort of drag them on in hopes that we can be part of them for for longer   Ian Binns 47:54 well, and so if I can we talk about in the feeling of happiness, and just feeling good, you know, John and I, in this journey of Washington, these films together and we're having a great time doing it, you know, I mean, he's really getting into it, and we're having a lot of fun. But I remember sometimes he would talk to me about what was your favorite one and your least favorite and Babalon and I had told him that you know, we're not done with civil war yet. We're gonna finish it today. But that when I saw that film, I didn't want to watch it again. Like that even though you know the way it ends it's okay, it was still a you know, for two for what over 12 films or something like that so far up to that point. It's like all the heroes maybe they don't get along at times but they're still kind of on the same side and then all of a sudden you see in this one that wait a minute to the biggest characters are now on opposite sides fighting each other. And I struggled with that I gotta be honest watching that that was tough to watch because it made me sad and like oh, this is something I'm supposed to be able to just escape into and not worry and bola and all sudden this happens and and so that was tough. And so I like how they work with it later. But that is interesting to me. How you know so watching some of it last night I'm glad we're doing it. But even he was describing this morning so what do you think so far? And he's like, I like it. But I mean it's it's really good and the plots interesting but also don't like it because we've not gotten to the big fight yet. We stopped bright for that. And we had to because bedtime fight we had we'd have to watch the rest of the film. Right and so as I said, we'll finish it today. But he just was like, but I don't like the fact that they're they're starting to not really get along because he you know, we both love Iron Man and Captain America alright, and we just but all these characters you get attached to all of them. And so it's just interesting. What that how this all relates Hmm. So   Zack Jackson 50:01 yeah, superhero movies in general, kind of have the same shape as the New Testament. Where it's like, yeah. Which is like he does the shaped Zack. I will, I will paint you a picture auditorially Yes, please. So it begins, they all begin with humble origins, an underdog story of somebody with great promise and potential, who needs to go through a hero's journey in order to find their full potential. They discover their powers, they go up against the powers that be there's some some small successes, there's some small losses. And then there's the final, there's the big confrontation in which they lose. They always have to lose at least somewhat. They need to be beaten into the ground. You know, oh, no, Iron Man is falling out of the sky, because he's all frozen. And you know, Captain America shield is broken like that. You need to be broken in some way. But then, when all hope seems last look on the horizon. And there's no, no, that's Gandalf coming over helm steep, but I was really good to the same kind of deal, right? Then there's this dramatic resurrection. And then boom, there we are. There's the happy ending that death is no more Oh, oh, Death, where is thy staying? Oh, grave, where's the victory? You know that, how we have this final win. And then then the same cycle repeats again, with the early church and the book of Acts. And then we get through these letters. And then the book of Revelation does the exact same story arc of like this humble beginnings, and then these troughs, and then at the end, there's this great victory, and it always ends on a happy note. And all of the stories in the New Testament follow that same underdog hero's journey, sort of story arc.   Kendra Holt-Moore 52:09 Shapes,   Zack Jackson 52:10 which is maybe why, maybe why I like superhero movies? I don't know. Yeah, it all   Kendra Holt-Moore 52:15 comes together.   Ian Binns 52:18 It makes you think about the matrix as well. Right? We're recording this. So less than a week before the fourth Matrix film comes out matrix resurrections. And I think that's gonna be really interesting. I'm actually excited about I really liked the series there had issues with the second and third movie. But I still liked the storyline, and the, you know, what it stood for, and stuff I thought was very interesting. But that's kind of like a superhero. Movie, or series as you just described, right. Um, and also even like the, with Star Wars, and the three separate trilogies. Yeah. Right. They help kind of follow that same, same description that you just gave us about superhero movies. And so yeah, I think it's gonna be very interesting, how they, how they bring all that together in this fourth movie of the matrix. Series. I don't know   Kendra Holt-Moore 53:13 beaking of shapes and superheroes in the Bible. Zack, do you want to tell us about a dead Christian story our How's that for a transition?   Zack Jackson 53:34 That is a wonderful transition. Because I still don't have a theme song.   Kendra Holt-Moore 53:43 Tried it? Let's try to workshop that. Okay. Did Christian Story Hour? Do you want something spooky? Um, or like uplifting? Or like Halloween theme music type of you know, intro I don't know. I'm   Ian Binns 53:58 gonna make me believe   Zack Jackson 54:00 I'm kind of I'm kind of I'm kind of into the the sort of ironic theme music something chipper and cheery like a like a, like a Mattress Company jingle.   Kendra Holt-Moore 54:16 Oh, yeah, that's perfect.   Zack Jackson 54:18 You got 805 80 to 300 M Pa. That kind of Well, welcome to part two of the dead Christian story our a part at the end of every fifth episode, in which I share with you one of my favorite stories from Christian hagiography. What is hagiography you ask? Well, I'll tell you. These are stories of dead Christians. And they are most of the time totally over the top. And I want you to take all of these with a giant grain of salt because they are not historically accurate and they aren't meant to be They are stories of heroes. And so that's what they're just meant to be. So just let them be hero stories, okay, and stop thinking too much about it because it's great. And I love them. This one comes from St. Lawrence. And St. Lawrence is the name of the borough where I live, which is named not at all after the actual St. Lawrence, but after a brand of stockings that the local knitting mill made in the 40s. But St. Lawrence, capitalism, right, it's too bad, because it's a great story. And I actually, this is the only dead Christian. That whose icon I own, I have, I have St. Lawrence in my kitchen, he holds my, my coffee scoops. And I'll tell you why in just a second, because it's great. So I'm going to take you all the way back to the mid to 50s. So this is like 200 years after Jesus. And Christianity is still kind of an underground sort of deal. But Christians in Rome, were starting to get maybe a little bit too powerful, a little bit too influential. You know, the whole thing was just kind of like back to Emperor valerian, he wasn't really having a whole lot of these Christians. So he issued an edict that all Christians in Rome must offer a sacrifice to Roman gods, or else lose their titles and land and standing. And anyone who persisted should be put to death. This was something that Roman emperors did from time to time, because they knew that Christians weren't going to do it, because Christians were stubborn. And they were in those days, kind of countercultural. pacifistic, anarchists, who loved to give the middle finger to the government. If you can imagine such a thing, that's what the church was like back then. And they were not, under any circumstance going to acknowledge of Roman God as any kind of God because they were like, it's Jesus, or nothing. Sorry, I'll die before I'll do that. And so the Romans were like, Great, then we'll kill you. So in 258, the Emperor valerian issued an edict that all of the bishops, priests and deacons of the Roman church should immediately be put to death, and all of their treasures confiscated because obviously, they would not make those sacrifices to Jupiter and such. So they started hunting down all the church leaders. And after they killed the Pope, and some of the most prominent leaders, their prefect of Rome, went after the arch deacon of the church, and demanded that he turn over all the treasures of the church. Now, deacons, for those of you who are not super into churchy stuff are the class of, of officers within the church who are tasked with feeding and taking care of the poor and the widows, the orphans, the lepers, anyone who has who has no social safety net in society. The deacons were the ones who went out and found these people and took care of them and help them so indirectly, they're also the people in charge of whatever finances the church has, which at those times was not a whole lot. But that was their job. And this fella named Lawrence was the first Deacon appointed of this church, and he was kind of in charge. So the Roman prefect went to him. And they were like, hey, Lawrence, so I gotta kill you. And I'm sorry about that, but I got to do it. However, if you turn over all of the treasures of the church to me right now, I might give you a head start. So you can get out of dodge, right? Because the prefect wants to take a cut, before he gives the rest of the Emperor. So he's, you know, he's trying to make it a little sweet for himself. So Lawrence is like, Alright, sure, I'm in, give me three days. At this point. I'm sure the prefect is like wait a second. What are these Christians? They're they're jackasses. So what, why is why is this guy on board, but whatever, I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna think too hard about it. I'm gonna get some cash money. So three days later, Lawrence shows up in front of the prefix office. And trailing him is a crowd of the dirtiest people, the widows, the orphans, the lepers, the poor, the crippled the sick, following behind him in this crowd, and he says to the prefect, Behold, the treasures of the church. Yeah, because he had taken those three days and had liquidated all of the church's assets and had then just redistributed them to the poor in Rome. So the church had no money after that. And he said, we are far more wealthy than your Emperor will ever be. So as you can probably Guess the prefect was not a fan. And so instead of beheading him, as they did with the Pope, and everyone else, he's like, I'm gonna make this guy suffer. So we strapped them to a grid iron, and put him over a bed of hot coals to slowly cook him to death. And after a while of excruciating pain, he said to Lawrence, what do you have to say for yourself now? And Lawrence looked at him, and he said, I'm done on this side, turn me over. And for that, they made him the patron saint of cooks. And so the icon I have of him in my kitchen is of him happily standing there with this big smile on his face, holding a big gridiron with like a bunch of garlic and onions in his other hand, as if he was like the church chef, because he's the patron saint of cooks. And somebody told the icon maker, go ahead and make me a picture of St. Lawrence, the patron saint of cooks. And they're like, Yeah, sure, I'll give him a bunch of food and stuff. Because apparently he was a chef. He was not a chef. He was cooked alive on a gridiron. He is also the patron saint of comedians, which feels a lot more appropriate. Because dude was a smartass. And I kind of love him.   Ian Binns 1:01:24 The patron saint of chefs, even though he was cooked alive.   Zack Jackson 1:01:28 Yeah, the patron saint of dentists also got her teeth kicked out. So the people who come up with these things have a sort of sense of cruel irony, I think. Yeah,   Kendra Holt-Moore 1:01:37 very much. So   Ian Binns 1:01:38 I would say so. Yeah. I love that.   Kendra Holt-Moore 1:01:41 Is there a like a closing like, outgoing theme music that that we'll have for the fit too, because I feel like it really needs that. Oh,   Ian Binns 1:01:51 well, maybe something about magical breasts this time though.   Zack Jackson 1:01:55 No magical breast this time. Just a smart Aliki Deacon who got cooked alive and then later turned into the patron saint of yummy garlic and onions.   Ian Binns 1:02:08 Yeah, that was, yeah, amen.   Zack Jackson 1:02:12 Amen. Okay. So the next time you're having a barbecue, pour one out for St. Lawrence, and maybe give the middle finger to the government hits what he was with St.   Ian Binns 1:02:24 Lawrence for being cooked alive. Hey, go. Thank you.

Andrea Berlin is the James R. Wiseman Chair in Classical Archaeology and a Professor of Archaeology and Religion at Boston University. Her research focuses on the archaeology and history of the Achaemenid, Hellenistic, and Roman East, Ceramic Studies, Second-Temple Judaism, and the archaeology of Israel. In this episode, we discuss the book The Middle Maccabees of which she is a co-editor and a contributing author. The book examines the beginnings of the independent Jewish state founded in the second century BCE and frames it within the wider world of conflicts between the Ptolemies of Egypt, the Seleucids of Syria, and the Romans. You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

In this episode, we watch the Ptolemies and Seleucids battle over control of Israel, follow the intrigue of Jewish elites fighting for the position of High Priest, hear of the brutal Greek repression of Jewish practice, and see the rise of a rebellion.

Welcome to the fifth episode of We Effed Up! In this installment, we examine Cleopatra, Julius Caesar, and how a single eunuch brought down an ancient empire.SourcesFields, Nic. Warlords of Republican Rome: Caesar vs. Pompey. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley, 2008.Freeman, Philip. Julius Caesar. Simon & Schuster, New York, 2008.Goldsworthy, Adrian. Caesar: Life of a Colossus. Yale U. Press, New Haven, 2006.Graninger, John D. Roman Conquests: Egypt and Judea. Pen & Sword Military, Barnsley, 2013.Manning, J. G. The Last Pharaohs: Egypt Under the Ptolemies, 305-30 BC. Princeton U. Press, Princeton, 2010.Raaflaeb, Kurt A. Ed. (Caesar, Julius). Commentaries on the Civil War. Pantheon, New York, 2017.Schiff, Stacy. Cleopatra: A Life. Little, Brown, & Co., New York, 2010. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Royally Screwed, we're beginning the story of Cleopatra, tracking her life as she goes from princess to pharaoh of Egypt. But first, she'll have to contend with all of her siblings.Subscribe for more episodes as they come.Twitter: @Denim_CreekInstagram: denimcreekproSubscribe to the Channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqVkGmgEQTR7KX5GhBV-vkA/featuredMusic:Intro/Outro: “Life O' the Lavish” - Jules Gaia, “Mystery Garden” - Brendon Moeller, “Always There” - Table Etiquette, “Neroli” - Ennio Máno, “Action rock_full” - Radio_Parma, “Glitz at the Ritz” - Jules Gaia, “12th Floor Party” - Jules GaiaCopyright 2021, Denim Creek Productions

The actual content of the vision disclosed by the heavenly messenger to Daniel occupies Daniel 11 and the first part of Daniel 12. Although the meaning of many of the details is not easy to sort out, the main lines of thought are reasonably clear.The Persian Empire is in view in 11:2. The standpoint of the vision, according to 10:1, is the reign of Cyrus. Who are the other four kings? The Persian Empire lasted two more centuries and produced nine kings (not counting usurpers between Cambyses and Darius I). Are the four the most prominent? The ones mentioned in Scripture (Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes [=Ahasuerus], Artaxerxes)? We do not know.The Greek conqueror (11:3–4) is Alexander the Great, and the four kingdoms into which his empire was broken up have already been mentioned (Daniel 8; see meditation for October 23). The running struggles between the king of the south (the Ptolemies) and the king of the north (the Seleucids) found Jews squeezed between the two. Eventually the north prevailed (11:5–20). The one who sent out the tax collector (11:20) is almost universally recognized to be Seleucus IV, who died in 175 B.C. The “contemptible person” (11:21–39 [or possibly 21–45]) is undoubtedly Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucid monarch we have met before (October 23).Readers of this book who love history should read Josephus, I Maccabees and II Maccabees, and contemporary reconstructions of the dramatic events of that period. There is no space here to survey that turbulent history. Yet we must ask why Scripture devotes so much space to it. From certain perspectives, Antiochus IV Epiphanes was not very significant. So why all this attention?There are at least two reasons. First, at one level Antiochus attempted something new and profoundly evil. The oppression the Jews had suffered up to this point was diverse, but it was not like this. The ancient Egyptians had enslaved them, but did not try to impose their own religion on them. During the period of the judges, the Israelites were constantly running after pagan deities; when the pagans prevailed they imposed taxes and cruel subjugation, but not ideology. With the exception of one brief experiment by Nebuchadnezzar (Dan. 3), Assyria and Babylon did not forcibly impose polytheism. But here is Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawing Israelite faith, killing those found with any part of Torah in their possession, militarily imposing and coercing a pagan worldview. The people suffer, and God eventually saves them. Second, canonically this brutal period of history becomes a model, a type, of ideological oppression, suffering, and martyrdom against the church. What New Testament passages reflect this? This podcast is designed to be used alongside TGC's Read The Bible initiative (TGC.org/readthebible). The podcast features devotional commentaries from D.A. Carson's book For the Love of God (vol. 2) that follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan.

Two years after the vision of chapter 7, Daniel had his vision of the ram and the goat (Dan. 8). The text from Daniel 2:4 to the end of 7 was written in Aramaic (a cognate of Hebrew, widely used in the late Babylonian and Persian Empires). Both chapter 2 and chapter 7 provide visions that sweep through from the Babylonian period to the dawning of the kingdom of God; both of these chapters also provide some identification of the referents of the figures in their respective visions. None of the remaining chapters in the book of Daniel includes the same sweep, including the chapter before us. Here the focus is on just two beasts/kingdoms, which turn out to be the middle two of the four specified in chapters 2 and 7. Some observations:(1) The ram has two horns, one more prominent than the other. The ram represents the Medo-Persian Empire (Dan. 8:20); the more prominent horn, of course, is Persia. This has a bearing, you may recall, on how chapter 2 is interpreted (see meditation for October 17). The shaggy goat is Greece. Philip of Macedon united the Greek city-states, and his son Alexander the Great (referred to as “the first king” of Greece, Dan. 8:21) established the Greek Empire, expanding its limits to the borders of India. Along the way he prevailed against Persia. Upon his premature death, the empire was divided up under his four most powerful generals (Dan. 8:8, 22). Only two of them affect biblical history, the two that established the dynasties between which little Israel, “the Beautiful Land” (Dan. 8:9), was squeezed: the Ptolemies in Egypt to the south and the Seleucids based in Syria to the north. In the second century B.C., the Seleucids prevailed, and one particular Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, became extraordinarily brutal and oppressive. He made the observance of Jewish religion a capital offense, defiled the rebuilt temple, and for three-and-a-half years (roughly 1,150 days, embracing 2,300 morning and evening sacrifices, Dan. 8:14), 167–164 B.C., wreaked havoc in the land until the guerrilla warfare led by the Maccabees forced him out of Israel and back to Syria.(2) The vision presents itself as dealing with the “distant future” (Dan. 8:26), i.e., almost four centuries after Daniel's time. It deals with “the time of the end” (Dan. 8:17). That expression means different things in different contexts. The “end” can refer to the end of the Lord's forbearance at a particular time in history (e.g., Ezek. 7:2–3); here, the “end” is probably with respect to the question asked in verse 13.(3) The last verse of chapter 8 testifies that deep dealings with God, and the reception of genuine revelation, may exact a physical toll. This podcast is designed to be used alongside TGC's Read The Bible initiative (TGC.org/readthebible). The podcast features devotional commentaries from D.A. Carson's book For the Love of God (vol. 2) that follow the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan.

The Second Syrian War has begun! However, rather predictably, it will not simply be a contest between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids; the Antigonids are going to get sucked into the hurricane of battle as well. So, this week, we're going to recap the relationship between the Antigonids and the other major powers and discuss the alliance between Antigonus II and Antiochus II against their mutual enemy... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. (1902) The House of Seleucus (Vol I.). London: Edward Arthur. 2) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 3) Heinen, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 4) Volkmann, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Antigonus II Gonatas (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021]. 5) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antigonus II Gonatas (online) [Accessed 19/06/2021]. 6) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Battle of Cos (online) [Accessed 19/06/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Demetrius I of Macedon (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Demetrius the Fair (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Seleucus I Nicator (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown) Stratonice of Syria (online) [Accessed 15/06/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Syrian wars (online) [Accessed 19/06/2021].

Episode 122 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 8 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: (Bible quotes from the Good News Translation) The LORD Almighty answers, “I will send my messenger to prepare the way for me. Then the Lord you are looking for will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger you long to see will come and proclaim my covenant.” But who will be able to endure the day when he comes? Malachi, Chapter 3, verses 1 and 2, Good News Translation ******** VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K. Welcome to another episode of Anchored by Truth. Today we are concluding our look at “The Intertestamental Period” - the 400-plus year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. Next time we will begin a new series we call “But what about?” which will explore various topics found in the Bible that people sometimes find puzzling. For instance we are planning on doing one or two episodes on “but what about heaven and hell” and “but what about angels and demons.” But, for today, we’re going to close out this series on the intertestamental period. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, would you care to say a word of greeting and introduction? RD: Greetings to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. We really appreciate you taking some time to be with us for this episode. We know that anyone who takes the time to listen to Anchored by Truth only does so because they have a sincere interest in knowing the Bible better because the single focus of Anchored by Truth is to demonstrate, as our opening says, that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. That truth used to be commonly accepted but it’s not today. So, to hold to that truth requires both commitment and courage. VK: RD, throughout this series we’ve been talking about the intertestamental period. And I think we’ve seen that even though no new books of the Bible were being produced during this period that this was a key period in Biblical history. Can you give us an overview of why you thought it was so important for us to take an in-depth look at this period? RD: Sure. The short answer is that the intertestamental period was the period in which a number of Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled. If we don’t know anything about the intertestamental period’s history, we will miss important instances of prophetic fulfillment. Also, during the intertestamental period changes occurred in and around Israel that affected the world in which Jesus lived His earthly life. If we don’t understand those changes we miss important events that prepared the world for the arrival of the Messiah. So, to close out our series I want to emphasize those points by thinking about two hypothetical scribes – one scribe who lived at the very beginning of the intertestamental period and one scribe who lived at its end. Let’s call our first scribe, Ariel and our second scribe Zedekiah. VK: We think of a “scribe” as someone who is a writer or a stenographer but you’re using the term as it was used in the Bible. A scribe was someone who was an expert in the Jewish scriptures and law. RD: Right. So, let’s say Ariel was a scribe who lived in Jerusalem around 425 B.C. I want to think about the world in which Ariel lived and, more importantly, what Ariel knew about the progress of the plan of redemption. VK: Well, first, Ariel knew that there was a plan of redemption because the plan had been launched in Genesis, the first book of the Jewish scriptures which we now call the Old Testament. And, at the time Ariel lived all of the books of the Old Testament had been written though scholars differ on when the first compilation was actually made. But in Ariel’s day the final books of the Old Testament, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Malachi, had just been completed. So, at least all the books would have been available in one form or another. RD: Yes. The books had all been written though as you say the first complete compilation into a single volume as we know the Old Testament would not have been available. For instance, in the Jewish scriptures the books we call Ezra and Nehemiah were generally thought to have been a single book and even in the various compilations that were produced the order of the books sometimes varied. But the main point is that Ariel has access to the entire Old Testament. As such, and since Ariel is an expert on those books, Ariel would have known that a large number of the Old Testament prophecies had been fulfilled. VK: Such as the prophecy contained in Isaiah 44:28 where God told Isaiah “When I say of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,’ he will certainly do as I say. He will command, ‘Rebuild Jerusalem’; he will say, ‘Restore the Temple.’” Ariel lived at a time when he had seen, or more probably his grandparents had seen, the Persian Emperor, Cyrus, conquer the Babylonian Empire. Very shortly after he did so Cyrus issued a decree that allowed the Jews in exile in Babylon to return home and to begin rebuilding their temple. RD: Right. Ariel, his parents and his grandparents, had seen a number of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled during their lifetimes. They had seen that, even though the Babylonians did not initially destroy Jerusalem, they finally did as prophesied by Ezekiel. They had seen that the Babylonian exile had lasted about 70 years as prophesied by Jeremiah. They saw the Babylonian Empire fall to a confederation of the Medes and Persians as prophesied by Daniel. And they had seen Babylon fall in the exact way Isaiah had foretold. In Isaiah 44:27 God has said, “When I speak to the rivers and say, ‘Dry up!’ they will be dry.” The way the Medes and Persians bypassed Babylon’s impregnable walls was by diverting the Euphrates River that flowed under the wall. Then, when the river bed was dry they just marched under the wall into the city. VK: And our fictional scribe, Ariel, now lived in a mostly rebuilt Jerusalem. The temple had been finished around 515 B.C. but the walls of Jerusalem weren’t finished until 445 B.C. So, Ariel lived in a walled city although it wasn’t nearly as grand as the pre-exile city had been. And Ariel lives in a city that is part of the Persian Empire. Israel is not an independent nation although they are enjoying some degree of autonomy in their daily lives and religious practices. RD: Right. So, Ariel has seen a number of prophecies contained in his scriptures come true. But Ariel also knows that there are a large number of prophecies he can read about that haven’t come true. The prophet Daniel has prophesied that the Persian Empire will be conquered by the Greeks, but in Ariel’s lifetime the Persian Empire is at the height of its power. Greece is just a disjoined group of warring city states that aren’t a single country much less a threat to the mighty Persian Empire. And, as Ariel looks out over his city from the temple mount, the biggest prophecy of all – that a Messiah would come to deliver His people – remains completely unfulfilled. VK: And maybe worse for Ariel he has the prophecy from chapter 9 of Daniel to deal with. That prophecy said that 483 years had to elapse from the date a decree was given to rebuild Jerusalem and restore its moat and city square before the Messiah, the Chosen One, would arrive. And to compound this dilemma there were four separate decrees issued by Persian emperors that had to do with rebuilding either the temple or the city. So, Ariel can’t really even be sure which decree is the one that starts the 483 year time clock ticking. RD: Correct. But, Ariel has seen a number of very specific prophecies fulfilled so Ariel has good reason to believe that the other prophecies he knows about will also come true. But Ariel has no idea that the most recent books he has seen added to his scriptures, Ezra-Nehemiah and Malachi, are going to be the last of God’s special revelation for a very long time. VK: A period of over 400 years. That’s almost 200 years longer than the United States has been in existence. Hopefully, Ariel has a comfortable life because neither his children, grandchildren, nor great grandchildren are going to see the prophetic fulfillment of many prophecies which are very important to them. RD: So, now let’s leap forward to Zedekiah, our hypothetical scribe who lives at the very end of the intertestamental period. Like Ariel, let’s say Zedekiah lives in Jerusalem and he lives at the time that John the Baptist has just appeared on the scene. John the Baptist has just started his pubic ministry and is just starting to create a buzz among the common people. Zedekiah isn’t a skeptic but Zedekiah, as an expert in the scriptures, feels that he has to be far more cautious before he places his trust in this strange guy who lives in the desert, wears a camel hair coat, eats locusts and honey, and is telling everyone they need to repent because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Let’s see what Zedekiah knows that Ariel didn’t. VK: Well, Zedekiah now knows that just about every prophecy in the book of Daniel has been fulfilled with a staggering amount of precision. Unlike Ariel, Zedekiah has seen the Persian Empire fall to the Greek Empire. And Zedekiah knows that that conquest occurred within a remarkably short time period – just over a decade. Zedekiah also knows that there was only one great king of the Greek Empire, Alexander the Great. Zedekiah knows that the prophecy that said Alexander’s empire would be split into four parts has come true. And Zedekiah also knows that the Greek Empire has been replaced by the Roman Empire. So, Zedekiah can see the series of four world empires prophesied by Daniel in chapters 2, 7, and 8 of his book has all been fulfilled. RD: And Zedekiah has seen that the prophecies in Daniel chapter 9 through 12 have been partially fulfilled. Zedekiah has seen that the struggle between the king of the north and the king of the south described so clearly in chapters 11 and 12 has unfolded just as prophesied in the conflicts between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. So, Zedekiah can see that a great many more prophesies contained in the Old Testament have been fulfilled between Ariel’s time and his time. VK: And this was one of the big reasons we undertook this examination of the intertestamental period. If we don’t know anything about the intertestamental period we miss seeing an amazing number of prophetic fulfillments. RD: Right. But, like Ariel, Zedekiah has not seen any of the prophecies related to the coming of the Messiah being fulfilled. Like Ariel, Zedekiah is still awaiting the promised Anointed One who will deliver his people. But unlike Ariel Zedekiah can see that the prophesied 483 time period between the delivery of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the arrival of the Messiah has largely elapsed. Zedekiah knows that it has been more than 400 years since Darius and Artaxerxes issued their decrees concerning Jerusalem. So, Zedekiah could have good reason to believe that the arrival of the Messiah might be very close at hand. VK: Just as Nicodemus seems to have. Nicodemus said plainly to Jesus that they, the Jewish leaders, knew Jesus had come from God because of the miracles Jesus had done. The perceptive Jews of Nicodemus’ day knew all that our hypothetical Zedekiah did. And, when the Jewish leaders saw John the Baptist begin his ministry apparently many of those leaders wondered exactly that. In the first chapter of his gospel John says that the Jewish leaders sent priests and Levites out to ask him whether he was the Messiah. John of course said that he wasn’t. But he did say that he was the Elijah-type messenger that Malachi prophesied would arrive just before the Messiah. RD: Right. So, Ariel and Zedekiah both stood at crucial intersections of history. Ariel stood at the intersection where a 1,000 year period of God’s special revelation came to a close and period of revelatory silence was about to begin. In Ariel’s day it had been a little over a thousand years since Moses had first assembled or written the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible. And the 400 to 450 year period of the intertestamental period was about to begin. Zedekiah stood at the end of that period and where a new period of special revelation was about to begin. It would begin first with John the Baptist breaking the period of revelatory silence. John obviously was receiving communication directly from God because he told his followers he was able to identify Jesus as the Messiah because of the sign he had been given that the Spirit would come down and rest on Him. VK: But John the Baptist wasn’t the only one that God was communicating with directly in that day. John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, had a visit from Gabriel. Gabriel told Zechariah of the coming birth of John the Baptist. And there were two elderly people, Anna and Simeon, who received messages from God about Jesus and recognized Jesus as the Messiah when he was a baby. RD: Correct, but Anna and Simeon’s messages from God were more for the purpose of authentication than proclamation. And Zechariah’s message was more for preparation. It was John the Baptist who came forth in the mold of the Old Testament prophets and really broke that extended period of prophetic silence. What I want us to see is that the intertestamental period created those prophetic intersections. The opening of the intertestamental period inaugurated a period of prophetic silence, the close marked the end. What I think is useful for us today is to examine what the people who lived at those intersections knew and how what they knew affected their faith. In part, I think this is useful because it is fair to say that we live in another period of prophetic silence. VK: What you mean is that the canon of scripture closed almost 2,000 years ago, right? It’s not that we don’t have a special revelation from God. We do. It’s called the Bible. But the period we live in resembles the intertestamental period because new special revelations are not being added currently. Do I have that correct? RD: Exactly. In fact, it’s been almost 2,000 years since the last book of the New Testament, Revelation, was written. So, this period of revelatory silence has gone on 4 to 5 times longer than the intertestamental period. But during this period we have seen additional prophecies fulfilled. Some of these were prophecies contained in the Old Testament but some were provided in the New Testament. VK: Such as? RD: Such as Jesus prophesying about the fall and destruction of Jerusalem. VK: You’re thinking of Mark, chapter 13, verses 1 and 2. “As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.” Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!” RD: Yes. Jerusalem was completely destroyed in 70 A.D. by the Roman general, Titus, who later became emperor. But let’s get back to Ariel and Zedekiah for a moment. As we mentioned in their hypothesized settings both knew about prophecies of a coming Messiah but neither had seen His arrival. But if Zedekiah lived for a few more years after he saw John the Baptist appear on the scene Zedekiah would have seen dozens more Old Testament prophecies come true in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It’s just that Zedekiah, like most Jews of his time, would have seen the prophecies come true in an unexpected way. VK: Faithful Jews like Zedekiah very much expected the Messiah to be a conquering political and military figure. But in His first coming Jesus came to conquer sin and death – arguably a task that’s immeasurably harder than just conquering a country or empire. RD: Yes. So, as we stand in our own period of revelatory silence we have the advantage not just of seeing that the vast majority of Old Testament prophecies have been fulfilled, but also many from the New Testament. But like Ariel and Zedekiah there is one great prophetic hope that we have and for which we are still awaiting fulfillment. VK: I’m sure you mean the second coming of Jesus. Believers have been looking forward to that since Jesus’ ascension and the angels asked His disciples why they kept looking at the sky. Then they added, “This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.” Ever since that minute believers have wondered when He would come again. RD: That is the hope I’m thinking about. There are many different opinions on many matters relating to eschatology but all commentators are agreed that at some point Jesus will make a physical return to the Earth. And when He does He will usher in the time of final judgment and separation of believers from unbelievers. So, we, in our day, are different from Ariel and Zedekiah in that they were looking forward to the first coming of the Messiah. We look back to Jesus’ first coming. But we are the same as Ariel and Zedekiah in looking forward to the Messiah righting all wrongs, providing rewards to His servants, and restoring the heavens and earth to an uncorrupted state. That’s one of the reasons I think it is a good idea for contemporary believers to study previous periods of Biblical history like the intertestamental period. We can get so lost in our own time and troubles we can forget that God’s plan of redemption is still firmly on track and that He will complete it at a time that He has already chosen. VK: So, what you’re saying is that in order for us to persevere in our faith we need to have an eternal perspective. We need to see beyond the trials and temptations that surround us day-to-day. It’s certainly not that those trials and temptations are unimportant but if we want to be victorious over them we need to remember that it is God who will provide the victory. But how can we be confident that God will provide the victory if we don’t have confidence in God’s promises. And the place where God’s promises are contained is the Bible. So, we need to ensure that we are firm in our minds that the Bible is God’s word. It’s one thing to answer yes to the question, “is the Bible the word of God?” But it’s another thing to be able to answer the follow up question of “why do you believe that?” RD: And, oddly enough, studying the intertestamental period increases our confidence in the two testaments. And thinking about the challenges believers faced at each point in redemptive history helps us be much more secure and effective in our own place in redemptive history. Christianity is a faith rooted in time and place. It’s not a faith that asks its believers to suspend their critical facilities. To the contrary, as we discussed in a previous episode of Anchored by Truth we are commanded to love God with all our minds. A huge part of the confidence believers should have is knowing how we today fit into the unfolding of redemptive history. VK: So, are we more like Ariel or Zedekiah? RD: I think we’re more like Zedekiah. At our place in history we haven’t had a direct revelation from God in almost 2,000 years. Zedekiah knew God had been quiet for over 400 years but right before John the Baptist started his ministry Zedekiah had no way of knowing when God would break His silence. VK: Oh. I think I see where you’re going with this. When God did break His silence He gave the world so much more than just another earthly political leader. God gave the world the means to transcend the sin and death that had plagued mankind since the garden. So, while Zedekiah wouldn’t know it until after the resurrection something far more amazing than just a military conquest was right around the corner. RD: Precisely. I’m well aware there are a wide variety of views on eschatology in our day and time. Probably the dominant view in our day and time is that the next event of redemptive history is the rapture – the removal of the church before the great tribulation. But not all Biblical scholars believe there will be a rapture or a literal millennium of Christ’s reign on this earth. But all Christians agree that Christ’s physical return to the earth is an event that we can and should anticipate eagerly. And as Jesus emphasized, other than the Father, no one knows the day and time that will happen. It could be tomorrow. It could be today. VK: So, we need to be about the business of ensuring that we are ready for Him to return. That’s not something that anyone else can do for us. We must do it for ourselves. That’s the reason regular Bible study and meditation are essential to our maturity as Christians. Other people can answer questions and point us to helpful resources but we are the only ones who can absorb it and apply what we learn to our lives. RD: Amen. Today we used Ariel and Zedekiah as hypothetical examples of people who lived at particular times in Biblical history. But there were real people who did live at those times and places who had the same kinds of questions that we do. Zedekiah lived in an era when God’s prophetic silence was broken but it’s interesting to think about what Zedekiah might have wondered right before that happened. Did Zedekiah wonder whether God was ever going to keep His promise to send a Messiah? Did he wonder whether God’s revelation was ended for all time? His scriptures told him differently but did he believe them. Our Bible tells us Jesus is coming again. We live in an era when we’ve seen a physical nation of Israel restored to its homeland. So, we’ve seen things that some people only dreamed about for over 1,900 years, but never happened. What’s next for us? The one thing we know for sure is that Jesus is coming again. We have hundreds of fulfilled prophecies from the Bible that assure us that at some point God will interrupt the daily activities of this world in an amazing and powerful way. We too could be the people who witness that. VK: Sounds like a great time for a prayer. Today let’s listen to a prayer of for our kids who will soon be starting school because we certainly want God to both guide, inspire, and protect them. ---- CHILDREN STARTING SCHOOL VK: We’d like to remind our audience that a lot of our radio episodes are linked together in series of topics so if they missed any episodes or if they just want to hear one again, all of these episodes are available on your favorite podcast app. To find them just search on “Anchored by Truth by Crystal Sea Books.” If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the Good News Translation) Malachi, Chapter , verses 1 and 2, Good News Translation

Today, we're going to return to a point we last covered in episode 27. Specifically, it seems that Ptolemy of Telmessus, the son of Lysimachus and Arsinoe II, is unlikely to have been elevated to co-king in Egypt. To find out why, we're going to have to uncover the life of the mysterious elder son of Ptolemy II and older brother of Ptolemy III, who had his shot at power before it all went wrong... Sources for this episode: 1) Bevan, E. R. (1927), The House of Ptolemy, London: Methuen Publishing. Available at: LascusCurtis [Accessed 08/02/2021]. 2) Grainger, J. D., (2014), The Rise of the Seleukid Empire (323- 223 BCE), Seleukos I to Seleukos III. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. (eBook) [Accessed 04/01/2021]. 3) Tunny, J. A. (2000), Ptolemy 'The Son' Reconsidered: Are there too Many Ptolemies? Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik 131: 83-92. 4) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), 'Ptolemy II Philadelphus' (online) [Accessed 14/05/2021].

DESCRIPTION Episode 119 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 5 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error. “ The Gospel of Mark, chapter 12, verses 18 and 26 and 27, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hello. I’m Victoria K. Welcome to another episode of Anchored by Truth. Today we are continuing our look at “The Intertestamental Period” - the 400-plus year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. I’m in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, today we’re going into our 5th episode in this series. Last time we talked a bit about the conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids for the control of Palestine during the intertestamental period. So, to set the stage for today’s discussion how about giving us a bit of a review of what we’ve been discussing. RD: Hello to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. We really appreciate you taking some time to be with us for this episode. The intertestamental period is probably the period of Biblical history that receives the least attention today. Most people are very familiar with the accounts of Jesus’ birth, life, and resurrection. Most are pretty familiar with some of the most popular episodes from the Old Testament such as Noah and the ark, Daniel in the lions’ den, or Elijah battling the prophets on Mt. Carmel. But even people who are regular Bible readers often pay little attention to the hundreds of years that elapsed between Malachi and Matthew. But we should because there were a great number of events that occurred during that period that are very important to us having a well-developed understanding of both the Old and New Testaments. And those events include the protracted conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids that occurred between around 300 B.C. and 160 B. C. VK: And, as a refresher Ptolemy and Seleucus had both been generals in Alexander the Great’s army. After Alexander’s death his empire was carved into four territories. Ptolemy became the king of the Egyptian portion and Seleucus became the king of the Syrian portion. Israel, obviously, was between those two. So, when conflicts occurred between these two dynasties – which was pretty much all the time – Israel was always caught in the conflict. One of the most important prophetic chapters in the Old Testament has got to be chapter 11 of the book of Daniel. The entire chapter is devoted to the conflict between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids. It’s so detailed that it could almost read like a historical report of the conflict but it was written over 200 years before the first events of the struggle. RD: Right. And that’s a very good reason for looking at the intertestamental period. In the intertestamental period we see the fulfillment of a large number of prophecies contained in the Old Testament such as those in Daniel, chapter 11. See those prophecies fulfilled in such fine granularity cannot do anything but enhance our confidence in the Bible. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the strongest lines of evidence of the Bible’s supernatural inspiration. But beyond just seeing the prophetic fulfillment that occurred during the intertestamental period we also see the foundation for many of the events that we read about in the New Testament. For instance, there is no mention of the Sadducees or Pharisees at all in the Old Testament. But both groups were prominent in Israel in the first century A.D. VK: And since our contemporary calendar is dated according to Jesus’ life this is the period during which Jesus lived and performed his earthly ministry. Jesus frequently encountered both the Sadducees and the Pharisees during that ministry – though unfortunately most references to them are not positive ones. RD: Unfortunately, they are not. At any rate, both the Sadducees and Pharisees arose sometime during the intertestamental period though scholars are not exactly sure when. But it can be helpful to our understanding of Israel during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry to try to understand some of the forces that gave rise to them. VK: So, what is some of the thinking behind what gave rise to these two groups and why they became so prominent? RD: Well, as we have already mentioned after Alexander the Great died his empire was divided among four of his generals. Initially Palestine came under the rule of Ptolemy who also ruled Egypt. Under Ptolemy the Jews seemed to have retained a large measure of self-rule and were able to have their own high priest. Traditionally, the high priest had just a religious function but in the absence of a Jewish king the high priest also became a major source of political influence. Under the Ptolemies the Jews also flourished in Egypt and as we’ve noted the Greek version of the Old Testament, the Septuagint was eventually produced by the Jewish colony in Alexandria. The Ptolemies controlled Palestine from about 300 B.C. to 198 B.C. VK: But in 198 B.C. the Seleucids were finally able to get control of Palestine. There had been frequent conflicts between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids but this was the first time the Seleucids actually were able to directly rule Palestine. The Seleucid rulers normally went by the title of Antiochus. In 175 B.C. Antiochus IV (the 4th) came to power. This turned out to be a very bad thing for the Jews. RD: Correct. Antiochus IV also was known as Antiochus Epiphanes (god manifest). Well, Antiochus Epiphanes began to feel pressure from the Romans who were already beginning their expansion to the east. Macedonia, which is the northern part of the Greek peninsula actually fell to Rome in 146 B.C. but even before that Rome’s expanding territorial ambitions were becoming obvious. Antiochus Epiphanes saw this so in an attempt to strengthen his control Antiochus stepped up the process of Hellenizing his empire. VK: Hellenization referred to the process of importing the Greek language and culture into the territories Alexander had conquered. It had always occurred at some pace within the territories the Greeks controlled but not at the same rate everywhere. Evidently, Antiochus felt that if his empire were thoroughly Hellenized the people would be more resistant to the Romans. So, part of what Epiphanes did was to try to get the Jews to change their culture and even give up their religion. This produced a terrible period of persecution for the Jews. Not unpredictably it spawned a revolt. RD: Right. In 167 B.C. Antiochus set up a statue of Zeus in the temple and slaughtered pigs as a sacrifice to it. Many of the Jews thought that this event was what the prophet Daniel had referred to when he spoke of the “abomination of desolation.” It’s hard to imagine doing anything that would inflame faithful Jews more. Right after this desecration the Maccabean Revolt broke out. The revolt was led by Judas Maccabeus or Judas the “Hammer.” VK: And the revolt was successful. In 164 B.C. the Jews were able to regain control of Jerusalem and they cleansed the temple. This event is still celebrated among the Jews as Hannukah. All this history was recorded and is part of the book known as 1 (first) Maccabees. RD: And the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees are part of the group of books known as the Apocrypha which we talked about in the first episode of this series. The Apocrypha are thought by Roman Catholics and the Orthodox branches of Christianity to be part of a second canon or “deuterocanonical.” VK: So, after the Ptolemies lost control of Palestine there was a lot going on during the next 4 decades. How did all this lead to the formation of the Sadducees and Pharisees? RD: Let’s remember that both the Ptolemies and the Seleucids were Greek. They may have been fighting for control of territory but they were both part of the original Greek empire. So, Hellenization was present under both. It’s just that Antiochus Epiphanes had taken it to a whole new level. Well, after the Jews regained their religious freedom they also wanted political freedom. It took another 2 decades but in 142 B.C. the Jews finally regained their independence. VK: And this is hard for us to grasp but when the Jews regained their independence it was the first time in over 400 years. The first Babylonian deportation of the Jews to Babylon had taken place around 600 B.C. Even after the Jews returned to Palestine around 70 years later they still weren’t independent. They were just a vassal state of the Persian Empire and then part of the Greek Empire. That must have been an amazing period for the Jews – to finally have their freedom after over 450 years of foreign rule. RD: Undoubtedly. But of course even at that point the Jews had been subject to Greek influence for over 150 years. So, the process of Hellenization had been going on a long time. And as with any large cultural movement some Jews had welcomed the changes the Greeks had brought with them. But many did not. Even after the Jews under the Maccabeans gained their political independence they did not return to their traditional priestly line of governance. Instead, the Maccabees founded the Hasmonean Dynasty – named for one of their ancestors, Hashmon – and continued their control of the country. This was fine with some Jews but not with others. The Hasmonean rulers dominated the priesthood, even though they weren’t from the priestly line of Aaron, and continued to adopt Greek ways of life. VK: And the Sadducees appear to have been a group that supported them in this plan. The Sadducees were an aristocratic group that seemed to have prized political stability above everything else. I suppose we could think of them as being the “establishment” of their day? RD: Yes. Religiously, the Sadducees only recognized the first five books of the Old Testament, the Pentateuch, as being canonical. They saw the rest of the books of the Old Testament as having lesser authority. This is one of the reasons they rejected the doctrine of the resurrection which Jesus confronted them about. VK: We heard that in our opening scripture today from Mark, chapter 12. There’s a parallel account of the same confrontation in Matthew, chapter 22, verses 22 through 33. So, it’s fair to say that the Sadducees had embraced the process of Hellenization far more than some other groups within Israel at the time. RD: Yes. VK: Then where do the Pharisees fit in? RD: The Pharisees seemed to have arisen as one of the groups that opposed the loss of the traditional Jewish culture and laws. They were not primarily a political group but they seemed to have begun to function as a cultural, religious, and political counterweight to the Sadducees and the Hellenizing intentions of the Hasmoneans. The Pharisees did accept the entire body of scripture we call the Old Testament so the Pharisees did accept the doctrine of resurrection and life after death. VK: And the Apostle Paul was a Pharisee. He famously invoked this religious difference when he was arrested in Jerusalem in Acts, chapter 23. This was a bit of clever lawyering on Paul’s part wasn’t it. RD: Yes. Paul’s trial before the Sanhedrin was around 60 A.D. So, it was about 200 years later than the events we’ve been describing. As we mentioned, we’re not sure exactly when the Sadducees and Pharisees formed as identifiable groups but they are first mentioned by the historian Josephus in connection with a Hasmonean ruler named John Hyrcanus I who ruled from 134 to 104 B.C. VK: So, sometime between the latter part of the 2nd century B.C. and the opening of the New Testament period the Sadducees and the Pharisees had become so well established and prominent that together they became the ruling group within Israel. Both groups had longevity. They persisted for well over 150 years. And we know that both groups had influence and power in Jesus’ day. RD: Yes. While we don’t know the exact origin of either group we do know that both groups have their roots in the intertestamental period and I think we can see how the Greek control of Palestine was a significant factor in shaping the Israel in which Jesus appeared. VK: What are you thinking about? RD: The Roman general Pompey occupied Jerusalem in 63 B.C. VK: Which put an end to the Jews’ independence. So, they were independent for less than 100 years? RD: Yes. So, let’s think about this. Between 300 B.C. and 142 B.C. the Jews were subject to Greek rule by either the Ptolemies or the Seleucids. And even after they became politically independent there were still factions within Israel that had supported the increasing Hellenization of their culture. The Greeks actively sought to transmit and spread their ideas. The Greeks were replaced by the Romans but the Romans did not make a corresponding effort to change the cultures, languages, or religious practices of the people they conquered. VK: The Romans were a very practical people. They were interested in stability within their far flung empire. They wanted control over economies, taxes, the military, and what we might term “infrastructure.” But the Romans didn’t have any particular interest in the religions or worship practices of their subject provinces provided those practices didn’t disrupt the Roman governance or the peace and stability of their empire. In fact the Romans afforded the Jews a fair amount of self-rule even during Jesus’ day didn’t they? The Jews had their own ruling council comprised of the Sadducees and Pharisees. The high council was permitted to make judgments about civil and criminal matters, although only the Romans could pronounce a death sentence. The Jews selected their own high priest. They were permitted to regulate the activities of the temples and synagogues. And even some of the high ranking Jews became friends with very senior Romans including members of Caesar’s family. RD: Right. As you mentioned, the Romans were very practical and this made them very capable builders and administrators. While it’s painting with a very broad brush you might say that Romans were builders while the Greeks had been thinkers. Alexander took an entire contingent of Greek scientists and philosophers along with his Army. The Greeks not only sought knowledge but they actively spread their knowledge and culture. During Jesus’ time, even after the Roman Empire had displaced the Greek Empire, Greek was the most common language used in international commerce and affairs. Even today the names of Greek philosophers are household names. Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle are still well known in our day and time. VK: So, there are Greek philosophers that are well known in our day and time - but there are still Roman public facilities in use in our day and time. Aqueducts and roads built by the Romans have survived and some are still functioning after 2,000 years. The Romans were masters at construction including pouring and curing concrete under water to build very sophisticated ports and harbors. Naturally, the Roman military prowess is legendary because they were masters of metallurgy and military design. So, what you’re saying is that the differences in these two empires was significant in God’s preparation of the world for the arrival of Jesus. RD: Exactly. While we’ll talk more about this in a future episode the Romans made it safe for the first evangelists to travel throughout the Roman Empire and spread the gospel. But the Greeks had made it possible for the evangelists to speak with the people wherever they went. VK: But you are also saying that the impact of the Greek and Roman Empires on the preparation for Jesus’ arrival wasn’t just limited to the world outside Palestine. There were also impacts within Palestine. This was especially true of the Greeks whose had been present in Palestine in one form or another for 300 years. And part of that impact was reflected in the presence and differences between the Sadducees and Pharisees. RD: Yes. The Sadducees seem to have followed the Hasmonean practice of embracing the Hellenization that had been brought to Israel. The Pharisees did not. In fact, the Pharisees seem to have actively resisted attempts to change their culture. This meant that the Sanhedrin, the Jews’ ruling council at the time of Jesus was split religiously and philosophically. The one thing they did agree on, though, was on a desire to maintain their own power and influence. VK: Well just about anyone who has read the Gospels or listened to a sermon on Jesus’ life has heard about the Sadducees and Pharisees. But what are you thinking about when you talk about their presence being important insofar as the arrival of Jesus in the world is concerned. RD: As you said just anyone who has ever read Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John – or heard a sermon about them – has heard of the Sadducees and Pharisees. Part of the reason we’ve all heard about them is because it was often encounters between Jesus and a Sadducee or Pharisee that provided us with some of the clearest statements we have on major issues that pertain to salvation. VK: Such as? RD: Let’s look at the encounter we heard about in our opening scripture. This same encounter is described in Matthew and Mark. A group of the Sadducees were trying to trip Jesus up by asking, what was to them, a standard question they used in their debates with the Pharisees about whether there would be a physical resurrection. Remember the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection but the Pharisees did. So the Sadducees posed the famous married-to-seven-different-brothers question. VK: Let’s listen to the question from Matthew, chapter 22, verses 25 through 28. The Sadducees said, “Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. Last of all, the woman also died. So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.” RD: Right. The basis for the question was the Levirate requirement for a younger brother to marry the widow of an older brother. Then the first son of that union would be reckoned as the son of the older brother. At any rate, it was a trick question. VK: Like the philosophy professor who asks the Christian student “If God is all powerful can God make a rock so big God can’t lift it?” RD: Exactly like that. It was a trick question but of course it couldn’t trick Jesus. Jesus quickly pointed out that even the part of the Old Testament that the Sadducees did accept, the Pentateuch, stated clearly that there was life after death. Jesus quoted from Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. That encounter is described in Exodus, the 2nd book of the Bible. Jesus pointed out that God had used the present tense when he was speaking with Moses indicating clearly that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive with God even though all 3 had died physically decades before the encounter. So, we can see from this exchange with the Sadducees that Jesus often used his contact with either the Sadducees or Pharisees, or both, to clarify much of the confusion that existed at that time about major issues that pertained to faith and salvation. VK: So, you’re saying that the presence of the Sadducees and Pharisees in Israel during Jesus’ lifetime was actually helpful in Jesus getting out His message. The Sadducees and Pharisees were the leaders of society in their day. People listened to them just as they listen to various kinds of leaders and celebrities in our day. People would follow what the Sadducees and Pharisees said and did. And people would have been particularly interested if anyone confronted them. So, when Jesus had a debate or exchange with one the report would spread far more widely and quickly than it would otherwise. And, of course, we need to know something about the intertestamental period to know why that was true. If we don’t know anything about the intertestamental period the Sadducees and Pharisees appear in the Bible just like Dorothy dropping in from Kansas. RD: I like that visual. Next time we’ll take a little more about how some of Jesus’ exchanges with the Sadducees and Pharisees produced some of the clearest and most important teaching we have in the Bible. This is particularly important because so many of the things we learn pertain directly to our salvation and eternal life. Just as we heard in the scripture today Jesus Himself has affirmed that the resurrection is real. And since all things were made for Him and through Him when it comes to knowing how things work He is the most trustworthy voice possible. Now, I’m not saying that God or Jesus couldn’t have made these important revelations if the Sadducees and Pharisees didn’t exist. But I am saying that God chose to use the Sadducees and Pharisees as part of His plan of revelation. As such I think we need to take some time and understand how their arrival on the scene is part of the grand saga of redemption. VK: Amen. This sounds like a great time for a prayer. Jesus’ ministry while He was on this earth was all about saving those who are lost spiritually. The need for doing that continues today. So, today let’s listen to a prayer for the spiritually lost – knowing that God has promised that as we diligently and faithfully present our petitions He will respond with grace and mercy: ---- PRAYER FOR THE SPIRITUALLY LOST (JERRY). We hope you’ll be with us next time and we hope you’ll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show. If you’d like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where “We’re not famous but our Boss is!” (Bible Quote from the New International Version) Daniel, chapter 8, verses 5 through 8 and 20 and 21, New International Version

The conquest of Egypt by Alexander and establishment of the Ptolemaic dynasty differed from previous foreign invaders like the Hyksos or the Persians. While the Ptolemies would very much present themselves as traditional pharaohs, they would bring thousands of Greek immigrants, founded poleis, and imported Greek culture en masse. For the indigenous Egyptians, Ptolemaic rule required them to live with two "faces": those like Manetho, an Egyptian priest of Amun-Ra who composed an influential history of Egypt in Greek known as the "Aegyptiaca", would continue to work under the new regime. Others were able to exploit "Hellenization" as a means of advancement, seen in the archives of the mixed Greco-Egyptian military family of Dryton and Senmonthis-Apollonia, revealing the complexities of ethnic and cultural identity. But we also can see the tensions between the Greek and Egyptian communities, which could explode in bouts of violence and rebellion. In this episode we look to see how the Egyptians responded to the arrival of a new political, social, and cultural elite. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/08/01/062-ptolemaic-egypt-egyptians-in-a-greek-land/) Episode 062 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/062-ptolemaic-egypt-egyptians-in-a-greek-land-transcript.pdf) The History of Africa Podcast Website (https://historyofafricapodcast.blogspot.com/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Episode 118 – Perfectly Quiet – The Intertestamental Period 4 Welcome to Anchored by Truth brought to you by Crystal Sea Books. In John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." The goal of Anchored by Truth is to encourage everyone to grow in the Christian faith by anchoring themselves to the secure truth found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible word of God. Script: "Some years later an alliance will be formed between the king of the north and the king of the south. The daughter of the king of the south will be given in marriage to the king of the north to secure the alliance, but she will lose her influence over him, and so will her father. She will be abandoned along with her supporters. But when one of her relatives becomes king of the south, he will raise an army and enter the fortress of the king of the north and defeat him." Daniel, chapter 11, verses 6 and 7, New Living Translation ******** VK: Hello. I'm Victoria K. Welcome to another episode of Anchored by Truth. Today we are continuing our look at "The Intertestamental Period" - the 400-plus year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. I'm in the studio today with RD Fierro, author and Founder Crystal Sea Books. RD, today we're going into our 4th episode in this series. Can you give us a brief recap of where we are and why we are talking about a period of history when no new books were being added to the Bible? RD: Greetings to all the Anchored by Truth listeners. Let's start with the second question first. The reason we thought it was important to take a close look at the intertestamental period is the same reason we do everything on Anchored by Truth – to help increase listeners' understanding and confidence in the Bible. The Bible contains the content of the Christian faith. The Bible contains God's special revelation to the world. We can know that God exists and that God is a God of immeasurable power and wisdom by looking at the created order but the amount of information we can derive about God just by looking at the created order is going to, of necessity, be limited. VK: Theologians call the knowledge we get about God by our observations of the created order "general revelation." This knowledge is general in that is available to everybody but it also general in its content. By looking at galaxies and stars we can know that Whoever created them is a being of immense power and strength. We can look at the unmatched complexity of a cell and see that the Creator must have unimaginable wisdom and precision. But we won't know that God sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins just by staring at the stars or looking through a microscope. In order to know that God has a special plan and purpose for His creation we need His special revelation – and that is contained in the Bible. RD: Right. It's not too strong a statement to say that if someone doesn't know what the Bible says any faith they possess is going to be incomplete. At a minimum it will not be the faith that God wants His children to have. VK: The Good News Translation of the Bible says," faith comes from … hearing the Good News about Christ." Today, we only hear the Good News about Christ by either reading or listening to the revelation that comes from the Bible. RD: Yes. So, we need to read and meditate on the Bible in order to develop our faith. But just about any honest reader will tell you that the first time they read the Bible there were lots of things that they read that they didn't understand. VK: Quite possibly things such as our opening scripture. In our opening scripture we heard about the king of the north and the king of the south and them trying to form an alliance. We also heard about the king of the south sending his daughter to marry the king of the north but then the daughter gets abandoned. I don't think it's much of a stretch for many of us to wonder what all that has to do with coming to salvation through Christ. I'm sure you're going to say that's why we're doing this series. RD: I don't have to say it because you just did. We're doing this series on the intertestamental period for two reasons. First, because studying that period helps us make sense of scripture passages like the one we heard from Daniel, chapter 11. Let's remember that the Bible is all about the grand saga of creation, fall, and redemption. In the Bible creation and the fall occur within the first 3 chapters of Genesis which is the first book of the Bible. So, the rest of the Bible is about the unfolding saga of redemption. And because that saga occurred during the real history of the world, to understand the saga we need to understand some of that history. Second, studying the history of the intertestamental period can actually help increase our confidence that the Bible is the word of God because many of the prophecies that were made in the Old Testament were actually fulfilled during the intertestamental period. VK: Fulfilled prophecy helps demonstrate that the Bible truly has a supernatural origin. So, that's part of what we want to do during this study of the intertestamental period. We want to show that there were numerous prophecies made in the Old Testament period that were fulfilled during this time. We believe that seeing the precision of the prophecies and the precision of the fulfillment should increase our confidence in the fact that the Bible is the Word of God. RD: Correct. The seemingly mundane facts of history connect to the Bible's spiritual messages about salvation and heaven in a very direct way. By reading the Bible and studying history we can see that the Bible contains a large volume of prophecies, hundreds of which have been fulfilled. This solidifies our confidence that the Bible is God's word so that it can be trusted in matters that are supernatural. VK: So, where are we then in our intertestamental series? Obviously, today you want to talk about the specific prophecy that's contained in Daniel 11:6 and 7. How does that fit it with what we have covered so far in our series? RD: Well, in our first episode in this series we saw that there is a gap of hundreds of years between the close of Old Testament canon and the writing of the first book of the New Testament. In our second episode, we saw that at the start of the intertestamental period the Jews had returned to their ancestral homeland after an extended period of exile. But we also saw that at that time they were not an independent kingdom. At the start of the intertestamental period the Jews were a vassal state of the Persian Empire. Notwithstanding that they weren't truly independent though, we saw that the Jews had considerable reasons for hope because everything they had experienced had been consistent with prophecies they had been given. Therefore, they had reason to be hopeful because they also had prophecies of coming deliverance. In our third episode we saw as the intertestamental period progressed more and more prophecies they had been given also continued to come true. VK: Now during the intertestamental period they Jews did not know that that was the period they were in. At that point the Jews had no idea that someday the arrival of the Messiah would inaugurate an entirely new part of God's special revelation. But what you're saying is that the Jews could still continue to maintain a hopeful expectancy. Because even though there were no new prophets giving them additional messages from God, they could still see that God was active in their nation fulfilling prophecies He had already given. So, what is the significance of the discussion in Daniel, chapter 11 of the kings of the north and the south? RD: We covered last time that the Jews had been in exile at Babylon but they were allowed to return back to Palestine after the Babylonian Empire was conquered by the Medes and the Persians. The Persian Empire, in turn, fell to the Greeks who were led by Alexander the Great. Alexander the Great died fairly young at age 32. He had sons but they were far too young to take over for him and in the ensuing power struggle none of Alexander's relatives took power. After 20 years or so, 4 of Alexander's former generals divided his empire: Ptolemy, Seleucus, Cassander, and Lysimachus. The Bible is really only concerned with Ptolemy and Seleucus. VK: Because Ptolemy took over Egypt and Seleucus took over Syria – and Palestine of course lies between Egypt and Syria. Because the Bible always designates its directions using Israel as the point of reference Ptolemy and his successors would become the kings of the south. Egypt is south of Israel. Seleucus and his successors would become the kings of the north. Syria is north of Israel. So, in our passage when it refers to the king of the south we're really talking about an Egyptian ruler. And when it refers to the king of the north we're talking about a Syrian ruler. Right? RD: Right. So, chapter 11 of Daniel is devoted to a description of the struggle that would occur between Egyptian rulers and Syrian rulers over the territory of Israel. And all of chapter 11 of Daniel occurs chronologically during the intertestamental period. VK: Again, just as a quick refresher the last book of the Old Testament Malachi was written around 450 B.C. Alexander the Great conquered the Persian Empire in 334 B.C. So, it was more than 100 years after Malachi wrote that the Jews saw many of the events of the prophecies of the book of Daniel come true. RD: And, since Daniel had written his book about 100 years earlier than Malachi wrote, a total of more than 200 years elapsed between Daniel receiving his prophecy and the inauguration of the events that are described in chapter 11. But as we're going to see the precision of the prophecy is amazing and it would certainly defy the ability of any human being to make it unless that human had received a supernatural revelation from God. VK: Ok. Let's get started and see how our amazingly God is able to act sovereignly through both prophecy and history. For purposes of this exposition we're going to use the Good News Translation version of the same scripture. In the Good News Translation Version the first line of verse 6 says "After a number of years the king of Egypt will make an alliance with the king of Syria…" What is this all about? RD: The "after a number of years" means that the events of verses 6 and 7 did not occur during the lives of Ptolemy or Seleucus who had taken over immediately after Alexander, but during the reign of their successors: Ptolemy Philadelphus and Seleucus's successor, Antiochus Theos. "An alliance will be formed" means that these two successor kings would make an attempt to unite the two kingdoms more closely by a marriage between the royal families. All of Alexander's former generals had seen a bitter power struggle in the wake of Alexander's death and there were already tensions between these two royal families over which would control the boundary territory between the two kingdoms. VK: And that boundary territory included the territory of Israel. So, in an attempt to head off a protracted war these two kings decided to try to form an alliance. It was and is common among monarchies to try to create such alliances by intermarrying with one another. There have been some pretty famous attempts at such alliances – Henry the VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon springs to mind. Those attempts didn't always turn out so well. It certainly didn't for Catherine. RD: Yes. And as we will see it didn't turn out all that well in this case for the bride either. VK: In this case the bride was the daughter of the king of Egypt. Our text says the king of Egypt will give the king of Syria "his daughter in marriage." Who was the daughter? RD: The daughter was Berenice, the daughter of Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt. Philadelphus agreed that Berenice would marry Antiochus Theos, king of Syria. Ptolemy agreed to the marriage in order to bring a war in which they were engaged to an end. Philadelphus not only hoped to restore immediate but also hoped to establish a permanent peace and an alliance between the two kingdoms. One of the conditions of this alliance was, that Antiochus would divorce his former wife Laodice, and that the children of that former wife would be excluded from the line of succession. Ptolemy hoped that the kingdom of Syria might become part of Egypt, if Berenice had any children with Antiochus. VK: But that didn't work out, did it? Our scripture goes on to say "But the alliance will not last, and she, her husband, her child, and the servants who went with her will all be killed." This is starting to sound an awful lot like Henry's marriage to Catherine. Henry abandoned Catherine for Anne Boleyn. RD: And in the case of our scripture Ptolemy Philadelphus died two years after this marriage. When Philadelphus died, Antiochus returned to his former wife, Laodice, and put Berenice away. But that didn't work out so well for Antiochus because after he returned to Laodice she murdered him because she didn't want to risk being dismissed again. By then she obviously knew Antiochus was a fickle husband. VK: Let me guess what happened next. Laodice wasn't all that fond of the woman who had replaced her so she decided to get rid of her as well. RD: As they say, "Bingo!" The Syrian court officers conspired to plan the death of Berenice and her children. But Berenice got wind of the plan and fled with her children to the city of Daphne. But the officers caught up with her there and killed her and her children. And notice that the text also says that the servants who went with her will all be killed. It was common when a bride was sent from one royal family to marry into another that the bride would take along the servants who had been taking care of her. In some cases they had cared for her almost since birth. Not only would these familiar faces make settling into the new life and country easier but the bride knew she could trust them. VK: And sometimes those servants included one or more who would send reports back to the king or royal family of the country she had left. A set of highly placed eyes and ears in the country to which the bride had been sent. And, of course, as we will see next the old queen killing the new queen, her child, and her servants didn't end of the matter. Verse 7 of Daniel 11 says, "Soon afterward one of her relatives will become king. He will attack the army of the king of Syria, enter their fortress, and defeat them." So, what is this verse about? RD: Berenice was not the only child of Ptolemy Philadelphus. She had a brother called Ptolemy Euergetes. As soon as he heard of what was happening to his sister, he gathered an army together and went north to rescue her. Euergetes was too late to save he, but, in connection with an army which he had recruited from Asia Minor as part of the rescue, he decided to avenge her death. He not only conquered Syria but he also took over other territories that had been under Seleucid control including Israel. In fact, if Euergetes had not had to return home to put down a revolt he probably would have conquered all of the Seleucid controlled territory. VK: But he didn't and the war between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids would continue for another hundred or so years with Israel caught in between. Ultimately, a particularly evil Syrian king would come to throne who would desecrate the Jewish temple which is sometimes referred to as the "abomination that causes desolation." Some commentators believe this "Abomination of Desolation" might pre-figure the anti-Christ who will appear just before Jesus' return. RD: Yes. This Syrian king is known in history as Antiochus Epiphanes. Epiphanes means "god manifest" Well, the Jews were so outraged by the behavior of Antiochus Epiphanes that they revolted and eventually were able to throw off all foreign rule for a period of several decades. But despite this period of self-rule it's important to note that by that time Israel had been under Greek control for almost 2 centuries. Remember that even though the Ptolemies and Seleucids were warring for control both sides in the war were Greek. When Alexander had conquered the Mideast he didn't just bring his soldiers he also had brought the Greek language and culture. You will often hear people refer to "Hellenism" or "Hellenization." During this period while these struggles were going on the Greek culture and language were being spread throughout the Mideast and western Asia. VK: And this Hellenization dramatically affected life within Israel didn't it? So, that's part of what we would like to talk about in our next episode of Anchored by Truth. But what do you want to emphasize as we close out for today? RD: In our previous episodes on Anchored by Truth in this series we have seen some important truths. God wasn't providing additional special revelation during the intertestamental period but that doesn't mean that God wasn't active in superintending the unfolding of history to achieve His purposes. VK: So, this tells us that even during the seasons of our lives when we may feel like we don't see a lot happening God is still in control. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians in Philippians 1:6 "I am sure that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it on until it is finished on the Day of Christ Jesus." God continues to work with us, in us, for us even in those times it seems like He is being very quiet in our lives. RD: Exactly. God never sleeps or slumbers and He never leaves His children. During the intertestamental period there was a lot going on that affected the Jews and most of it was beyond their control. Empires were changing. Kings were coming and going. Palace intrigues were transpiring that would affect their lives. But God was directing it all in such a way that He preserved His people. The Jews during the intertestamental period could be assured of this because they could continue to see that prophecies that had been given to them uniquely were still coming true. Decades, even centuries, had passed but then they saw another prophecy fulfilled exactly as it had been given. VK: In our last episode of Anchored by Truth we saw that God sometimes gave prophecies that affected entire empires and regions of the world. God is the God of the seemingly big and important. But today we saw that God also gave prophecies that pertained to specific individuals – in this case the daughter of an ambitious king and her brother. God isn't just the God of empires and world history. He is also the God for individual people and individual destinies. RD: Yes. God knows each of us personally and, even though it seems trite to say it, He has a plan for each of us personally. God can work through anybody regardless of their station, status, age, or place. The key is whether we want to see God's will come to fruition in our lives – or be like Adam and Eve in the garden when the Bible tells us the first sin occurred because they desired to be like God. There can only be one Lord in anyone's life. It can be God Almighty or it can be a lesser being like us. That's one of the lessons that comes to us powerfully by watching prophecies continuing to be fulfilled during the intertestamental period. VK: God can rule in our lives or we can. God is not going to share His throne with anyone. The tragic part is when we think that we can do a better job than God. And it's not that God wants to take away our free will. Far from it. God wants to enable us to experience His best. But as you say in our Christmas epic poem The Golden Tree: Komari's Quest God can only help us when we set our own power aside. The question ultimately is whether we want to experience all that we can provide or all that God can provide. RD: Absolutely. And that's what we see so clearly as we study the Bible and history. The Jews went into captivity because they refused to honor God's commandments especially the first commandment to have no other gods before Him. During captivity a great many faithful Jews learned the lesson and, as promised, God returned them to their homeland. Also as God promised, God punished the nation that had exiled the Jews and ultimately God used a succession of world powers to continue to prepare the world for the arrival of Jesus. Chapter 11 of the book of Daniel was written about 200 years before any of the events it describes occurred. But in time they did occur exactly as prophesied. God, as only God can do, just recorded them 200 years ahead of time. This is a powerful confirmation of the supernatural origin of the Bible. The Bible's character is no different today than it was when any of the various human authors first prepared their records. It's just that today we have a complete revelation and that revelation clearly tells us that just as Jesus came to earth 2,000 years ago, He is coming again. It's just that the first time He came as the suffering servant. Next time He is coming as the conquering lion. VK: Amen. This sounds like a great time for a prayer. Since all of us have sinned and fallen short of God's perfect plan for our lives, today let's listen to a prayer of corporate confession – knowing that God has promised that as we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive them: ---- PRAYER OF CORPORATE CONFESSION (MARCUS). We hope you'll be with us next time and we hope you'll take some time to encourage some friends to tune in too, or listen to the podcast version of this show. If you'd like to hear more, try out crystalseabooks.com where "We're not famous but our Boss is!" (Bible Quote from the New International Version) Daniel, chapter 8, verses 5 through 8 and 20 and 21, New International Version

This week, we take a step back to discuss what's been going on in Egypt while we've been looking at the Seleucid narrative. To do this, we're going to dive into the infighting, cultural conflicts and rivalries of the Ptolemies... Sources for this episode: 1) Bennett, C., Egyptian Royal Genealogy (date unknown), Berenice I (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 2) Bevan, E. (1902) The House of Seleucus (Vol I.). London: Edward Arthur. 3) Bevan, E. R. (1927), The House of Ptolemy, London: Methuen Publishing. Available at: LascusCurtis [Accessed 08/02/2021]. 4) Heinen, H., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 5) The Editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019), Berenice I (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 6) Pallardy, R., Encyclopaedia Britannica (2020), Arsinoe II (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 7) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Antigone of Macedon (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 8) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Arsinoe I (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 9) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Arsinoe II (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 10) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Battle of Cos (online) [Accessed 19/06/2021]. 11) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Berenice I of Egypt (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 12) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lagus (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 13) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Lysimachus (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 14) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Magas of Cyrene (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 15) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Menelaus (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 16) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Ptolemy II Philadelphus (online) [Accessed 28/03/2021]. 17) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Thais (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 18) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Theocritus (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021]. 19) Author unknown, Wikipedia (date unknown), Tutankhamun (online) [Accessed 17/06/2021].

Alexandria, or Alexandria-by-Egypt as it was called, was the easily the greatest city of the Hellenistic Age. Founded by Alexander the Great in 332/331, it became the pet project of the Ptolemaic dynasty, who turned it into the capital of their mighty empire. Through the dynasty's direction and enormous amounts of money, the city was endowed with magnificent works of art and architecture, all the while playing host to an great body of scholars and artists. From the cosmopolitan makeup of its population to its legendary monuments like the Lighthouse of Pharos and the Library, I will be giving a sightseeing tour of Alexandria during its heyday under the reign of the Ptolemies. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/05/14/060-ptolemaic-egypt-a-travelers-guide-to-alexandria/) Episode 060 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/05/060-ptolemaic-egypt-a-travelers-guide-to-alexandria-transcript.pdf) The History of North America Podcast Anchor (https://anchor.fm/mark-vinet) Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/history-of-north-america/id1534971777) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

Herodotus described Egypt as the gift of the Nile River, and without a doubt the Ptolemaic rulers took full advantage of the land's agricultural prosperity. In addition to their exploitation of the Nile's annual inundation, the Ptolemies would introduce the most rigorously developed (or exploitative) taxation system ever seen in Egypt, and would enable them to become the wealthiest people in the world of the 3rd century BC. We will take a look at the administrative layout of Hellenistic Egypt in order to see how the Ptolemaic dynasty oversaw such a financial juggernaut, ranging from the day-to-day operations of their many officials to grand imperial projects such as the reclamation of the Fayyum Oasis. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/04/12/059-ptolemaic-egypt-kingdom-of-gold-kingdom-of-the-nile/) Episode 059 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/04/059-ptolemaic-egypt-kingdom-of-gold-kingdom-of-the-nile-transcript.pdf) The Ozymandias Project: iTunes (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-ozymandias-project/id1537896277) Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/5BomB9FPUjX2nPzXazYk1E) Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheOzymandiasP1) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/hellenisticagepodcast) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

The Ptolemies were a Greek dynasty that ruled Egypt during the Hellenistic period. And in a lot of ways Arsinoë II really set the standard for the generations of Ptolemaic queens that followed her. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Throughout the three centuries of Ptolemaic control over Egypt, their dynasty can be best described as having a split identity. Ruling from Alexandria, the new intellectual and cultural capital of the Greek-speaking world, the Ptolemies were very much Hellenistic kings and queens. But Egypt was an ancient land, and they needed to come to terms with the pharaonic tradition that had dominated Egyptian life for the better part of 3,000 years. As the longest reigning dynasty in Egyptian history, the Ptolemies adopted the role and iconography of the pharaoh to great success. They were also capable of developing new ways to project their power, whether through the establishment and promotion of royal cults and new deities like Serapis, or incorporating the image of splendor and abundance as part of their propaganda. In this episode, we will see how the Ptolemies successfully legitimized their rule in the eyes of both Greeks and Egyptians alike. Show Links Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2021/02/27/058-ptolemaic-egypt-two-lands-two-peoples-one-ruler/) Episode 058 Transcript: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/058-ptolemaic-egypt-two-lands-two-peoples-one-ruler-pdf.pdf) Pontifacts: Podbean (https://pontifacts.podbean.com/) Twitter (https://twitter.com/pontifactspod?s=20) iTunes (https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1387540364?ls=1&mt=2) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Redbubble (https://www.redbubble.com/people/HellenisticPod/shop?asc=u) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

You can find OUR MODERN HEBREW FLASHCARDS below for KINDLE at AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P11L7GY Hi, my name is Michael Sahno, the host of "12 Cities in Israel"! In this episode I tell you about the HISTORY OF AKKO!!! From the Tribe of Asher & the Ptolemies and the Seleucids to the Crusades & Napoleon and the Ottomans! Enjoy!!! A Positive Podcast about the food, culture and fun of Israel! Join me, Michael Sahno, as I talk about everything that I love about this wonderful, big, little country. One caveat though, no politics and no religion. Enjoy! Please, listen and enjoy, and SUBSCRIBE & SHARE! Host: Michael Sahno Produced, Directed & Edited by: Michael Sahno & Nili Caine With the Greatest Thanks to Reuven & The Revivo Project for Allowing us Permission to Use Their Music!!! Check Out the Songs from This Episode, “Rona” & "Ohev Lihyot" and Many, Many More on iTunes! https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/the-revivo-project/555377380 Also, Watch The Video for This Song Here on YouTube! “Rona” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Hc4PAsiazY "Ohev Lihyot" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flQ7ljsn4Hg And Subscribe to Their YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/channe/UCvqlSAlwZN12ClJknGN78mw The Revivo Project IS Israel!!! Special Thanks to: Ilanit Ram & Everyone at the SEA Executive Suites, Maayan Bronstein & Olga Pertsovsky from Neviot, Sharon Mercer from Carmel Car Service, Dave, Johnny Z & Ryan at Alto Music, Jacob & Marquita from Adorama, Sally Zilberstein at El Al Airlines, Ariel & Roy at Glikson Camera, Stephanie & Robert Sahno, Rachel Villegas & Family, Moti Biton & Family, Rafi Cohen, Jeff Rosenfeld, Charlotte & Miriam Strauss, Kate Volman, The City College of NY Jewish Studies Program, Ben Gurion University International --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Please Visit Our Sponsors! Thank You Sponsors! Neviot+ Water https://www.neviotglobal.com/en/home Carmel Car Service https://www.carmellimo.com/ Alto Music https://www.altomusic.com Also, Please Visit These Organizations & See What You Can Do to Help! ALEH https://www.aleh.org Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel https://www.schneider.org.il/eng --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You Can Subscribe to This Podcast on iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher TuneIn & Spotify. Website: https://www.12citiesinisrael.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/12citiesinisrael Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/12citiesinisrael

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.Hebrews 11:35The "Hall of Fame of Faith" of Hebrews 11 mentions a number of men and women by name, yet many persons are only alluded to (Hebrews 11:32-38). Some are known from Bible, others from extrabiblical sources.The courageous martyr who was sawn in two was Isaiah, who traditionally was executed by Manasseh (Martyrdom of Isaiah 1:10, 5:1; also recorded in the Talmud).Probably the best known, and most colorful, instance the Hebrew writer refers to is found in verse 35.Hebrews 11:35 refers to 2 Maccabees 7, the moving story of a family of 8 who take their stand on the God of Israel, refusing to be released so that they might "attain a better resurrection."The story has been a constant source of inspiration for devout Jews ever since the second century BC.The context2nd century BCAntiochus Epiphanes IV (foretold in Daniel 11) insists on divine honors. He has no sensitivity to or tolerance for Judaism.Heavy pressure to conform to pagan (Greek) societyGreek language, fashion, sports, culture, idolatry.Prohibition of circumcision.Violation of Sabbath and kosher laws.Some Jews refused, and this led to a revolution, the Maccabean revolt.Judas the Hammer (Judas Maccabee) leads the revolt. The revolution was successful, and for the period of about a century the Jews enjoyed political autonomy.The Seleucids and Ptolemies, heirs to the fractured kingdom of Alexander the Great, could not hold on to Judea. The Jewish Hasmonean dynasty now sits on the throne.This comes to and end when the Romans, who were eclipsing the Greeks from the 2nd to 1st centuries BC, seize control of the region in 63 BC. They rule Jerusalem until 614 AD (when it is captured by the Persians). The Muslims seize Jerusalem in 638 AD.During this century of Jewish rule, the monarchy and the priesthood became entangled and corrupt. The lascivious and equivocating Herod the Great appeals directly to Augustus Caesar and solidifies his position as king of the Jews. The priesthood has by now become a sham. Longing for the spirit of the days of the Maccabean martyrs, many Jews wistfully read the books of 1-2 Maccabees.The theology of the passage At this time some Jews believed in resurrection only for the righteous, others that the wicked would be resurrected and then destroyed in the fire, while the righteous would be resurrected to everlasting life.You will notice that the seventh son warns Antiochus of judgment, but not of infinite hell. Like Christians in the first four centuries, Jews in the intertestamental period held several different positions on the nature and duration of hell.You will detect a trace of a patriarchal attitude in the text. If this bothers you, remember that this passage in 2 Maccabees lifts up the woman as a worthy example for us all.There are times when government demands absolute allegiance; we must refuse.The Law of Moses must be upheld.The brothers actually interpret their persecution as the punishment of God for their sins (!).2 Maccabees 7:1-41

This week, we're talking about one of the more maligned women in history: Cleopatra VII of Ptolemaic Egypt! Cleopatra was the last pharaoh, but she was not an actual Egyptian: Her ancestor, Ptolemy I, was a Macedonian Greek who claimed the land in part by running off with Alexander the Great's mummified corpse. The Ptolemies were...a lot. In this episode, Clerika discuss the hot mess incest express that was Ptolemaic Dynasty, and how Cleopatra made the best of the absolute shit sandwich she inherited. We cover her early reign--during which she was kicked out by her own court--and her "epic romance" with Julius Caesar, who was old enough to be her dad. Asides include whether or not a severed head EVER makes an appropriate gift, and which one of us would have willingly banged Caesar. Sources: Cleopatra and Antony: Power, Love, and Politics in the Ancient World by Diana Preston Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff Got Something to Say to Us? rudehistorypodcast@gmail.com Social Media! @rudehistory on twitter, instagram, and facebook rudehistoryeducation on tumblr

In 281/280 BC, the Hellenistic King Pyrrhus ventured to southern Italy to aid the Italiote-Greek city of Tarentum against a rising power based in central Italy. This enemy was the Romans. Over the next 150 years this civilisation would rise to become the Mediterranean superpower, winning wars against the Carthaginians, the Antigonids, Seleucids, Ptolemies and various other enemies. But why were the Roman soldiers so effective? I was delighted to be joined by Dr Steele Brand who brilliantly answered this question. Steele explained how the Roman Republican military was far from invincible. Indeed what is so striking from this period is how many devastating defeats the Romans suffered in the process - from Heraclea to Cannae. What made the Romans so extraordinary, however, was their mindset: the Roman civic ethos that was ingrained in its citizens from childhood. Steele explained how the household farm served as an ‘incubator’ for habituating citizens to Roman virtue, which in turn ensured that citizens remained willing to serve even in the wake of catastrophic military defeats. In short, it was these part-time ‘soldier farmers’ that became the nucleus of antiquity’s most famous empire.Steele is the author of 'Killing for the Republic: The Roman Way of War'. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Cleopatra echoes through history. But who really was she? Sophie (age 7) and Ellie (age 5) explore her life. We hear of her dreams for Egypt, her alliance with Rome and her love for Julius Caesar and later Mark Antony.----more---- We explore how she was maligned by Roman historians. But through the trials and tribulations are the tale of a brave woman confronting the prejudices of her age. We explore her world of Ptolemaic Egypt and how it differed from Ancient Egypt. We live her battle with her brother as she grows up in a sexist, patriarchal society. We follow her as she is delivered by carpet to Caesar (DHL and Fedex eat your heart out). We appreciate how Roman jealously of her, and of Caesay destroyed Rome from within. Then in a twist we see how her love affair with Mark Antony led to the final destruction of the Roman Republic and the Emperorship of Octavian / Augustus. All with songs, music and sound effects. - What was Egypt under the Ptolemies. - Who really was Cleopatra - What was happening in the Roman Republic - Of Caesar and Pompey - Caesar’s defence of Alexandria - How Cleopatra and Caesar fell in love – the carpet - Caesar’s conquest of the East – Veni, Veni, Veci - Roman jealously against Caesar - The Ides of March - The betrayal of Brutus - The Murder of Caesar - The revenge of Octavian and Antony - The Second Triumvirate - The breach between Octavian and Antony - The Battle of Actium - The Death of Antony - The Death of Cleopatra - The Empire of Augustus If you like this episode then you might like our Roman Empire Episode: https://www.historystorytime.com/e/roman-empire-people-and-society/ Or our Hannibal episode: https://www.historystorytime.com/e/hannibal-and-his-elephants-cross-the-alps/ Or our Boudicca episode: https://www.historystorytime.com/e/boudicca-and-the-roman-conquest-of-britain/ Or our Fall of Rome episode: https://www.historystorytime.com/e/the-fall-of-the-roman-empire-and-the-end-of-roman-britain/  

With an Egyptologist's perspective, PhD student Henry Bohun joins the show to help explore the complexities of the relationship between the Greco-Macedonian rulers of the Ptolemaic Dynasty with that of their native Egyptian subjects. Despite being Macedonian to the core, the Ptolemies nevertheless saw themselves as heirs and continuators of the Pharaonic tradition, and the ways in which they did are explored in this episode. Title Theme: Seikilos Epitapth with the Lyre of Apollo, played by Lina Palera (https://soundcloud.com/user-994392473) Show Links Website/Episode Notes: (https://hellenisticagepodcast.wordpress.com/2020/06/14/interview-on-rulership-ruler-cults-in-ptolemaic-egypt-w-henry-bohun/) Social Media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/HellenisticPod) Facebook (www.facebook.com/hellenisticagepodcast/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hellenistic_age_podcast/) Discord (https://discord.gg/VJcyUcN) Show Merchandise: Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/HellenisticAgePod) Donations: Ko-Fi (https://ko-fi.com/hellenisticagepodcast) Amazon Book Wish List (https://tinyurl.com/vfw6ask)

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Study Notes Ed Underwood Daniel: The Key That Unlocks God’s Plan for the Ages! The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes! (Daniel 4:25) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:29). Walk with me and I will bless you. Walk away from me and I will call you back to myself through loving discipline. (Conditional covenant, Romans 9-11). Nebuchadnezzar, the King of Babylon destroyed Jerusalem in three stages. First, in 605 BC he overcame Jehoiakim and carried off key hostages including Daniel and his friends. Second, in 597 BC the rebellion of Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin brought further punishment, and the Babylonians carried off ten thousand hostages including Jehoiachin and Ezekiel. Third, in 586 BC Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the city after a long siege. Ezekiel and Daniel were about the same age and Jeremiah was about twenty years older. This means that Daniel was just a teenager when he arrived in Babylon. By any worldly measure in Daniel’s time, it seemed the God of Israel was either powerless against her enemies or had abandoned her. The gods of Assyria and Babylon had seemingly triumphed over the God of Israel and Judah, the Temple was razed, and the Jews were living as discontented captives in a land far from home. God calls Daniel, a teenage captive forced into service to the King of Babylon to speak His messages into this dark hour. “The collapse and fall of both Israel and Judah notwithstanding, the book of Daniel makes crystal clear that the Lord God remains absolutely sovereign over human affairs. This is apparent in the present [situation in Babylon], despite political and religious conditions that might suggest otherwise, and in the future [the times of the Gentiles], then there would be no doubt in anyone’s mind.” (Eugene H. Merrill, “A Theology of Ezekiel and Daniel,” in A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, p. 388. The powerful miracles on behalf of the civil disobedience of Daniel and his friends (chapters 1-6) demonstrate God’s sovereign care of His people during the worst of times. The prophecies (chapters 7-12) demonstrate God’s sovereign rule over the Gentile nations and Israel. The writings of Daniel provide the key to the interpretation of all biblical prophecy. They also give believers an example of how to live for God in an ungodly culture: Daniel, the “Revelation of the Old Testament,” encourages God’s people to trust in Him during times when they feel powerless. I. THE CHARACTER OF DANIEL, (1): The prophet’s background and preparation open the book. Daniel is deported along with other promising youths and placed in an intensive training program in Nebuchadnezzar’s court. Their names and diets are changed so that they will lose their Jewish identification, but Daniel’s resolve to remain faithful to the Lord is rewarded. He and his friends are granted wisdom and knowledge. Daniel: How to live for God in an ungodly culture: Walk faithfully, wait patiently, and watch hopefully! II.THE PROPHETIC PLAN FOR THE GENTILES, (2-7): Only Daniel can interpret Nebuchadnezzar’s disturbing dream of the great statue (2). God illuminates the dream for Daniel. The God of Israel will sovereignly raise and destroy four gentile empires. The Messiah’s Kingdom will end the “Times of the Gentiles.” Because of his position in the dream, Nebuchadnezzar erects a golden image and demands that all bow to it (3). Daniel’s friends are thrown into the fiery furnace for refusing to bow down only to give God another chance to demonstrate His sovereignty and power. The vision of the tree (4) warns Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge the supremacy of God and he is humbled until he does. The feast of Belshazzar marks the end of the Babylonian kingdom (5) as Belshazzar too is judged for arrogant defiance of God. During the reign of Darius, a plot against Daniel backfires when God delivers him in the den of lions (6). Daniel’s courageous faith is rewarded, and Darius learns a lesson about the might of the God of Israel. The vision of the four beasts ends the section on the “Times of the Gentiles” by supplementing the four-part statue of chapter 2 (7). Four gentile powers—the Babylonians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans will rule until, once again, “...the saints of the Most High shall receive the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom forever” (7:18). III. THE PROPHETIC PLAN FOR ISRAEL, (8-12): The focus of chapter 8 narrows to a vision of the ram and goat that shows Israel under the Medo-Persian and Grecian empires. Alexander the Great is the big horn (8:21) and Antiochus Epiphanes is the little horn (8:23). Daniel prays for his people and is given the revelation of the Seventy Weeks, including Messiah’s atoning death (9). This gives the chronology of God’s perfect plan for the redemption and deliverance of His people. Next is a great vision that gives amazing details of Israel’s future history (10-11). Chapter 11 chronicles the coming kings of Persia and Greece, the wars between the Ptolemies of Egypt and the Seleucids of Syria, and the persecution led by Antiochus. God’s people will be saved out of tribulation and resurrected (12). DANIEL AND YOU: Daniel teaches us how to live for our God when the world seems out of His control: Walk faithfully! Daniel simply lived an uncompromising life for God in a totally compromised culture. He was not a political activist, but he was civilly disobedient. The character of this man was formed in his childhood. His parents and his community had prepared his heart for God’s call. Wait patiently! Daniel’s life was a long story in the same direction. He patiently trusted in his God during both good and bad times, knowing that his God was bigger than his circumstances. C. Watch hopefully! Daniel shows the practical importance of prophecy in our everyday lives. Knowing our God is going to win and that He is the God of history encourages our faith. Messiah: Christ is the Great Stone who will crush the kingdoms of this world (2:34-35, 44). The vision of the sixty-nine weeks (9:25-26) pinpoints the coming of Messiah. The decree (9:25) took place on March 4, 444 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-8). The sixty-nine weeks of seven years equals 483 years, or 173,880 days (using the 360-day prophetic year). This leads to March 29, 33AD, the date of the Triumphal Entry.

This morning we will be returning to the book of Daniel for our final time. We will be closing out our study in Daniel this morning by looking at the final chapter of Daniel, chapter 12. As you're turning there in your Bibles or on the apps on your phone, let me provide some context real briefly before we jump in since it's been a few weeks since we've been in the book of Daniel. The text that we will be studying today, the final chapter in Daniel, is the final part of the final vision and the longest vision in the book of Daniel. In chapter 10, if you remember, we were introduced to this final prophetic vision. Daniel was the standing on the banks of the great river Tigris in chapter 10, in the third year of King Cyrus. Then he was greeted by a couple of celestial figures along the way. One of who then proceeded to offer Daniel this prophetic vision of events that lie ahead and his future and for the future of the church. Then when we jumped into Daniel 11, a few weeks back, we heard the content of that prophetic vision. We learned of two kingdoms in particular the Seleucids in the Ptolemies who would follow both Persia and Alexander the Great. These two kingdoms would play a tug-of-war, as it were, with God's people for the next few centuries. Often making life back in the Land of Promise miserable for the Jews in Judea. Then one of these kings from the north, Antiochus Epiphanies, would initiate a particularly heinous reign of terror over God's people for about 15 years or so, until in God's providence he too would come to an end. Then finally in verse 36 of chapter 11, all the way until the end, we heard of another figure one who would be even more dreadful than Antiochus Epiphanies. The so-called Antichrist who would arise both and Daniel's future and also in our future at the end of the age to unleashed tears against the church. When chapter 12 opens, the chapter we are studying this morning, that final time of the Antichrist is still in view. It's a time of trouble like nothing that's preceded. It's a time of great anguish for the church, but also as our texts teaches today, a time that will culminate in resurrection glory. So, with that brief orientation to our text in mind, hear now the word of the Lord from Daniel 12:1-13, as always, I'll be reading out of the ESV. 12 “At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” 5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and behold, two others stood, one on this bank of the stream and one on that bank of the stream. 6 And someone said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream, “How long shall it be till the end of these wonders?” 7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the stream; he raised his right hand and his left hand toward heaven and swore by him who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and half a time, and that when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end all these things would be finished. 8 I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, “O my lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?” 9 He said, “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are shut up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many shall purify themselves and make themselves white and be refined, but the wicked shall act wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand, but those who are wise shall understand. 11 And from the time that the regular burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days. 13 But go your way till the end. And you shall rest and shall stand in your allotted place at the end of the days.”Daniel 12:1-13, ESV This is the word of the Lord. Ever since the so-called Age of the Enlightenment, around the eighteenth century or so, one of the consistent narratives that's permeated our thinking in western civilization is that our age is an age of progress. There's no problem that can't be solved, no question that is ultimately unanswerable in our world when we set out and apply our rational human faculties for the questions at hand. At present there may be plenty of problems to be fixed in our world and plenty of questions that at present do not have an answer, but just give it some time, as this constant narrative goes, and the collective muscle of the human mind can fix the currently unfixable and answer the currently unanswerable. Yet in contrast to this common narrative that we encounter in this world, that independent human autonomy can solve any riddle on the horizon. One of the consistent lessons that we've learned throughout our study in Daniel is that God's people are in fact a wholly dependent people. There are things that we would not know had it not been for the revelation of God. We are subject at every turn to the providence of God. Was it not for the powerful protection of our Lord and God the church would be destroyed by the kingdoms of this world? Friends, we are a dependent people. People who are dependent on God's wisdom, dependent on God's revelation, dependent on God's power. One of the implications of all of this is that sometimes we have to be content when God, in his wisdom, leaves us with unanswered questions. This is one of the lessons that Daniel, in fact, has to learn in this passage before us this morning. Ever since the first dream that Daniel was called to interpret back in Daniel chapter 2, I know it's been a while, so I'll remind you. It was a dream with this large image that was made up of four metals, and then this large stone came down out of heaven, and shattered that that image, and then the stone expanded the fill the whole earth. Well ever since that dream the Lord has slowly expanded Daniel's understanding and expectations for the future of kingdoms and for the future of the Kingdom of God. As each subsequent vision we've encountered a Daniel has come and gone, it's been for Daniel and for us in a sense, like layers of an onion being peeled back one after another after another. In each vision both he and we are plunging deeper into basically the same ethics of history, and how things are going to unfold for the church. In each vision Daniel sees something more. He sees more about the future conflict, more about the future evil and wickedness that would assault God's people, more about the spiritual horizon and spiritual forces that are actively at work behind the scenes, and more about God's works of providence over all of these events and figures that would transpire in the days ahead. Daniel's been exposed, we've seen, to a great deal and when chapter 10 opened up, all of that left him actually physically and emotionally exhausted. Remember he fainted at the prospect of seeing one more incredible vision being unfolded for him. On the other hand, all that Daniel has been privy to, all he's been exposed to, we see in our text this morning that he still has questions. He still has questions about the future. There's still more that he wants to know, more details he wants to know if they will be revealed to him. Yet there are some matters, in the wisdom of God, that even Daniel will remain in the dark about. As Deuteronomy 29:29 says, There are secret things that belong to the Lord our God.”Deuteronomy 29:29, ESV There are things that are not for Daniel, nor are they for us to know. Yes, much as been revealed to Daniel and friends even more has been revealed to us as a new covenant people. Yet there are still some things for Daniel, and by extension some things for us, that we will not know at present. So how do we move forward when that's the case? How do we move forward when we, in our pilgrimage, have unanswered questions that can only be answered by God? Our big idea this morning is this While some things are not for us to know, we are called to go our way as a dependent people who are none the less known.” We made along to know, for instance, the answer to that all-important question of lament; how long, O Lord, how long? We want to know when God is going to step in to make everything in the world right for once. One truth that we have to fall back on is that even though there is much that we don't know, we do know that we're dependent on a God who knows us in Christ and that's enough. Our three points we are going to unpack are these; 1. The Lord Knows His People 2. The Lord Knows the Times 3. The Lord at Makes Known to Us our Calling The Lord Knows His People Bear in mind once again that when chapter 12 opens, Daniel's angelic convoy is still closing out that prophetic vision that swept through all of chapter 11, remember that really confusing one that we encountered a few weeks back. In particular he's closing out that part of the prophetic vision that was concerned with the grand finale of history. We read a lot in the opening verse of our passage about “the time” or “that time” or “a time of trouble”. Really from verse 36 of chapter 11, all the way until a verse 4 of our chapter today, the time that is specifically in view is this time of the end. This is the time of the so-called Anti-Christ, a time after Daniel, a time after Antiochus Epiphanies, a time after Rome, and a time after us. It is a time of terror, a time of unparalleled wickedness, when this dreadful figure, whoever he is, will do his worst against the kingdom of God and her citizens. Fortunately, we already heard at the end of chapter 11 that this figure whose clothed in the symbolic garb of Antiochus Epiphanies, will in fact come to an end. This Antichrist will not proceed from terror to victory, and that's good news. The Lord would put an end in an instant to his exploits. What does this grand finale mean for us, for the church, that's endured even to the point of death of bloody reign of this figure? Well this is what the opening verses of chapter 12 are concerned with answering. In these opening versus we learn that even though the saints may be subject to the ravages of the kingdoms of this world. Also, that the time of the end is indeed a dreadful time to the church in its earthly constituency. We are dependent upon a God, friends, who knows his people and therefore our plight is not in vain. We have not been abandoned, nor have we been forgotten. This comes out specifically in three ways in our text. So, first, notice in verse one, that were introduced once again to this figure Michael. Michael is the same angel who back in Daniel chapter 10, when the vision was introduced, was said to have gone into battle against the prince of the kingdom of Persia. In the same context he's referred to both as the chief princes and then more specifically as your prince. Now it seems as if Michael has an important role to play in the scriptures as a warrior of sorts for the Kingdom of God. In the New Testament we see the same kind of thing. In the book of Jude for instance, Michael is said to have contended with Satan over the body of Moses at one time. Apparently as Jude looks back to the days of Moses, he tells us of an unseen spiritual face off of sorts where Michael stood guard in a protective posture between Satan and Moses. Then in Revelation 12 we learn that Michael and his angels war with Satan and his angels in Heaven emerge victorious from that struggle. While there are a couple other references in the New Testament that may elude to Michael, there's much in all of these references that nonetheless remains somewhat enigmatic. So, we don't want to speculate far beyond what the text indicates. But Daniel clearly wants us to know as an opening verse here that there is one who in God's providence stands for the church. The author of Hebrews tells us Michael, like all of the angels, are ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation, sent out for the sakes of a likes like you and me. At the very least that's encouragement that in this long and winding road of suffering that we often travel, and in particular what the church will have to navigate in the so-called time of the end, that God's elect traverse these perilous terrain with great divine assistance. Assistance that may remain unseen, but assistance that is none the less real. Second, we also learn in our texted that while the church has this great spiritual assistance in our present sojourn and in our future sojourner, we also we learn that we are kept secure in this sojourn. Again, we read in the second half of verse one, “but at that time”, again this is the time of the end, the so-called time of the Antichrist, “your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” This is a reference to the so-called Book of Life, that elsewhere in scripture is called the Book of Remembrance, or in Revelation the Lamb's Book of Life. Where the names of all of God's elect, those who truly belong to Jesus, are written down and sealed and never forgotten. Even though records of our individual influences in this world may fade from the memory of generation to generation that proceed us long after we are gone. We learn that in God's courts, friends we are never forgotten. Dale Ralph Davis, a commentator I'm indebted upon for my study in Daniel comments on this that while this might be a literary figure, because of course we know God doesn't actually need a physical book to remember those who are his, it's certainly not a literary filler. Because we who have been known before the foundation of the world are also kept secure in these Heavenly rolls that cannot be erased. Jesus tells us in Luke's gospel that above everything else, above anything we might accomplish in this world, even the things we might accomplish in ministry by the help of God's Spirit for the kingdom of God, we should rejoice primarily in this, mainly that our names are written in Heaven. Friends know that in Christ we are a known people. A people who are held secure by the one who has bought us with a price. Then finally, these two rich assurances that open up Daniel 12, culminate in a third. Namely, that we who are guarded in Christ by spiritual forces, that at present we cannot see by sight, and we who are forever known by Christ, will one day be like Christ. Not the sense that we will be divine or anything like that, but rather in that we too will be privy to a resurrection life of glory. When Christ appears 1 John 3:2 tells us, we shall be like him because we shall see him as he is. Christ's resurrection, we look back upon is the first fruit of our resurrection. Our resurrection promised is a consequence of his resurrection. Friends, the great comfort in all of our present sufferings and in all of the future sufferings that the church will have to endure, particularly at that time, is this; even though our bodies may waste away through the ravages of a sin and death and the devil, they will one day be raised, and together with all of creation, restored in glory. The great trajectory of comfort that the church is steaming towards is that of resurrection. When one day our flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with our soul and made like Christ's glorious body. That's directly out of the Heidelberg Catechism which calls that our great comfort to look forward. Yet at the same time, for all the good news that we truly have to cling to in these opening verses of Daniel laid out for us, we also hear a somber and dreadful note too. Even the wicked, that is those who have allied themselves with the kingdoms of this world, will experience a resurrection too. Not a resurrection to everlasting life, but rather a resurrection to everlasting shame and contempt. It is what the Book of Revelation calls the second death. Of course, this is a doctrine that many in our world find abhorrent and objectionable. Even many Christians protest that this doctrine of hell as an everlasting destiny of torment is something that a loving people cannot stomach. Yet as difficult is this doctrine may be for many in our world to accept, and maybe even for some of us, this is a doctrine we must insist upon because the Bible insists upon it and holiness of God demands it. Instead the primary question all of this should press us to ask both ourselves and one another isn't whether the Bible teaches something that clearly it teaches, but rather what kingdom are you allied with? Friends are you willing to suffer reproach, humility, and shame for the Kingdom of God because you know, as the author of Hebrews puts it, that you yourselves have a better possession and abiding one? Are you willing to live a life of dependents on the Son of God because you trust his promises are good and true and worth it and that in Christ you are known and loved by the God of the universe, even as we may experience contempt of the world at present. As John Owen puts it, “No man shall ever Behold the glory of Christ by sight here after if he does not by some measure behold it by faith here in this world.” So what present, what king do you behold? What king do you find a lovely and good and righteous? What kingdom are you serving? The Lord Knows the Times That's the first point, the second is this, know that the Lord also knows the times. The God we serve knows not just us, but also knows the times in which we live. So, notice that when we turn to verse five in our passage, the context slightly shifts a little bit and we're returning to the original setting of Daniel 10. Daniel he's back on the banks of the Great River Tigris and as he surveys his surroundings, I would imagine taking in all of the perplexing details that he just heard pronounced throughout Daniel chapter 11, and maybe a little bit speechless too, not quite sure what to say to all of that or what to do. He's helped out a little bit by another angel who poses a question that no doubt is on Daniel's mind too. We read, “How long shall it be until the end of all of these wonders?” How long until these future events of trouble, of resurrection, and of the consummation of God's kingdom transpire? How long until this pregnant pause of suffering and sin and death is finally at one point rectified? How long does a church have to hold on until resurrection? To this question that's asked by why someone, presumably one of the angels who is standing nearby, this man in the linen who we encountered in chapter 10 as well, raises both hands as if taking an oath. Typically, in the Old Testament the taking of an oath would be accompanied by the raising of one hand not two. So, the raising of two hands is significant here. It's as if this celestial figure is saying that the answer, he's about to supply is doubly sure, because he speaks not just for himself but also primarily for God. The answer that he supplies to this question hanging over Daniel mind, and maybe even hanging over ours, one of the primary questions that characterizes biblical laments, mainly how long oh Lord, is it that God's people would have to wait for a time, times, and half a time. Well that cleared everything up right? Well not really. So, what in the world is the angel referring to here? What effect does this period of time denote? Like most perplexing things that we encounter in Daniel, you're going to find actually a lot of different answers proposed to this riddle of time, times, and half a time. Some tend to see in this reference a limited period of suffering in which the church suffers horribly at the hands of the Antichrist, just before the end. In other words, some restrict this time period, however long it actually is, to a period of time that was covered between verse 36 of chapter 11 and verse 4 of chapter 12. That's a possible and valid interpretation. But other seeing this reference not a particular span of time restricted just to the very end, but instead a period of time that covers the entire “inner advent” period of time. That is the period between Christ's first coming and his second coming, a longer period of time. It seems to me that this is the best way to understand this reference. Case in point, this in fact how the Book of Revelation understands this enigmatic reference of time, times, and half a time. For instance in Revelation chapter 12 we learn that when Christ ascended on high after he accomplished everything that he accomplished in his incarnation, and Satan subsequently was cast down to Earth from Heaven, the church is pictured in Revelation 12 as both being pursued on Earth by Satan but also nourished and protected by God for a time, time, and half a time. In context it's a pretty clear reference to the inner-advent period of time, this time between Christ's first coming and the second coming. Interestingly in the very same context in Revelation chapter 12, the same block of time, times, and half a time, is also marked as a period of 1,260 days. It's the same thing, just saying it in a different way. Just as virtually all commentators of Daniel agree that 1,290 days in verse 12 really covers the same span of time as that time, times and half a time in verse 7, well so too in Revelation the 1,260 days covers the same span of time as time, times, and half a time in Revelation. Putting it back together, these are all references it seems to this inner advent period of time, this time between Christ's first coming and second coming. Moreover, just as Daniel of is told in verse seven of our passage that this span of time will all wrap up, we are told when the shattering of the power of the holy people comes to an end. We learned it in Revelation 11, one chapter earlier from the chapter I just reference, that the church bears witness they herald the gospel among the hostile world for what's called 1,260 days. When that time comes to an end, the church is martyred by a beast like figure and then the end comes. So, taking all of this together, it seems that these references that Daniel hears, various time references time, times, and half a time, and 1290 days, are all references to the inner-advent period of time. Daniels looking forward to the time of the end, but little does he know that this time doesn't come in an instant. It would begin with Christ's resurrection and it would end and culminate in our resurrection when Christ comes again on the clouds. While this seems to be what these periods of time denote, there's also a much more basic point being made in all of this, to which those of you who are a lost saying amen. You see, whatever time period these references ultimately signify on the timeline of redemptive history, we learn in all of this that the times are limited. Three and a half is only half of seven, a biblically recognize universal number for completeness. Even though we may not know how many years these references correspond to, the God who changes times and seasons certainly does. The reason this first reference is repeated later in terms of 1,290 days, is very simply to communicate that this same period of time, in the words of one commentator, is predetermined by God down to the very day when it all ends. In God's providence, friends, our Lord has the timing of events down to the day, down to the to the minute, and down to the second. That's good news, that we serve a God who controls the times, a God who knows the times, and a God who sovereign over all the times. Now even though we have much more revelation than Daniel had, and we have a clearer idea, I think, than Daniel about what these periods of time denote, because we have later revelation, we have the Book of Revelation in fact that help us out with this. Though like Daniel we still don't know the answer to this all-important question, how long? That question in one sense still evades us all. We don't know when Christ is ultimately going to come again on the clouds to wrap it all up and make everything right. We don't know how long the church is going to have to hold on, and how much blood is going to be still in the process. Again, we do serve a God who certainly knows. A God who is sovereign over every time and season. A God who gives us grace to endure in these times of trouble that he calls us to walk through, who in the fullness of time sent his son to set these last days in motion. Noticed once again in verse that Daniel is given instructions, after he hears all of these perplexing and alarming portents to, quote “shut up the words and seal this book until the time of the end.” Know at face value that might seem as if Daniel is being commanded here to lock up everything has been prophesied, to hide it away on the shelf, let it collect some dust, because these are secret matters that no one should be permitted to read or engage until the time of the end. Some have made that point, but I don't think that's what this means. In fact, there is good reason to understand these instructions to mean that the words of this prophecy should be preserve, kind of what it means to shut up and to seal. To preserve these words so that they can be read and studied by all. But while people can certainly have access to these words of prophecy and Daniel's day and beyond and read them and engage them and study them. The content of them really won't be understood or grasped until many years later. So yes, keep it, know that it's authentic prophecy from God, but in Daniel's day and beyond they're not really going to be able to understand it until the mystery that Daniel pretends is revealed in the fullness of time at the end of the days. When Jesus accomplished his work and was raised and ascended into the heavenly places, one thing we do know that Daniel's contemporaries didn't understand or couldn't understand, is that now these last days, which are firmly in God's hand, have been set into motion. Going back for a moment to the Book of Revelation, and humor me again if you would, near the beginning of that book we see a vision in Revelation 5. Where after accomplishing his work on Earth, Jesus stand in the throne room of God in the Heavenly places. As he approaches the one who is seated on the throne, he's handed a scroll. In the chapters that follow he breaks the seals that hold the scroll together one by one by one. Many people say, commentators agree, that he's enacting the last days. Understand that there still much that we do not understand in this world, about our present suffering, about this time of the end. Yet we do know that Jesus, the same Jesus who gives us resurrection hope as the first fruit of our resurrection, is the same Jesus who with the Father and the Spirit is infallibly in control of the times in which we live. He's already, as Revelation attest to and the New Testament attest to, inaugurated these last days and one day he'll put an end to our present sojourn and bring us home to glory. Until that time, what we do? Well we wait. In the last part of our passage, in verses 9 through 13, we learn how were called to wait in these last days. The Lord makes Known Our Calling So, the third point is the Lord makes known our calling. So, Daniel wasn't given an answer to this question that he really might have been itching for. He is offered something. In verses 9 through 13 he was issued marching orders to heed in the meantime, simply put, go your way go your way. In a view of the kaleidoscope of assurances that Daniel, and by extension the church, have to cling to as this time of the end draws near, the calling is very simply to get on with a life of faithfulness. Don't worry about when, after all that's not for you to know. The words are shut up and sealed and even though there will be one found worthy to break open the seals and enact these last days, which Jesus is already done, Daniels calling and our calling is simply to wait for the promises of God to be fulfilled, and for God and God alone to make all things right. In one sense this might seem for us like an entirely anticlimactic ending to Daniel, in light of everything that we see in Daniel's life and especially everything we seen it Daniel 7 through 12. Amidst all of the these terribly frightening forces raging in the Heavenly places, that both Daniel and the church have been privy to see in these visions and in view of the terrible forces that will one day unite together against God and his kingdom, just before the end. Our calling it may seem even perplexing because it's so ordinary. It's a simple calling of faithfulness and dependence on the king who was so bought us and the kingdom to which we presently belong. Sinclair Ferguson put it like this he says, “The biblical response to the promises of God's coming kingdom is always live for that kingdom now, recognize his reign now, be obedient now, fulfill your present responsibilities now.” As we prepare to depart from Daniel and to go our way in view of all of these things, may that ethos of faithfulness that Daniel impresses upon us be our ethos as well. Go to work, change diapers, finish your homework, and more importantly come together as a church in as much as we're able to do in these weird times, to receive the diet of God's word as a people wholly dependent upon God to be strengthened in whatever seasons lie ahead. Application As we prepare to wrap up and go our way, depending on the God who controls times and seasons and who knows us intimately in Christ Jesus, what else should we take away from this text? Well, here are three applications or takeaways. 1. Rest in God's revelation. In verse four we come across this perplexing statement on the last days where we read, “many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall increase.” It's not entirely clear what this prophecy points, but there are reasons to believe in view of Amos 8, which is probably was lying in the background to this text, that this is a summary for us of the futile pursuit of knowledge that characteristic of the last days. In other words, many in these last days will pursue knowledge, they'll run to and fro to acquire truth. While they may grow in all kinds of knowledge, knowledge that may be beneficial for a variety of purposes and endeavors, their search for meaning and for the substantive answers of life that are only encountered through God's revelation, will evade them. They will not understand. However, we, the people of God, are called not to find spiritual insight and spiritual truth by anxiously running to and fro is autonomous people who frantically search under every rock for answers to the big stuff of life. We are called to be a people dependent on God's revelation. We are called to rest in God's word and to trust his plan for bringing all things to right. We may not have every question answered, but when it comes to what we need to know for the life, we will have understanding and the answers that we most desperately need to get on with things. So that's the first application, rest in God's revelation because that's enough. 2. Don't expect glory to come from the kingdoms of this world. As enamored, friends, as we might be by the aesthetics of this world, by the various to displays of power that this world presents, by the promises that this world offers, nothing in this world can bring dead things to life. Nothing in this world can raise what's a perishable to imperishable glory. Nothing in this world can cure the sin sickness that corrupts hearts and minds. So, while we may enjoy many good things in this world, and I hope we do, don't imagine that anything could be a panacea or a cure-all to the deepest needs that we have. Nor to give us the glory that only the kingdom of God supplies through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and all who are found in him. That's the second application, don't expect glory to come from the kingdom of this world. 3. Know once again that in Christ you are known. We worked through Daniel, we've been exposed too much. We've seen the spiritual vistas of the last days and we glimpsed ahead to the time of the end, and yet there's much that we do not know. Much that we simply trust God to work out. For all that we do know and all that we don't know, we know that in Christ we are guarded, we are known, and we are preserved for an eternity of fellowship with the God who has known us before the foundation of the world, redeemed us, adopted us to be his own, and who will one day bring us into everlasting glory. Let's pray. All mighty and gracious God, we thank you for your word. We pray that as we encounter it, and especially if we encounter some of these enigmatic things that we don't quite understand, that we would nonetheless be content to rest in what is abundantly clear. Mainly that you know us, that you know the times and seasons, that you make known to us our call. And that one day you will put an end to all of the suffering and tears that are shed in this fallen world, this life under the sun and you will bring us home. May we rest in those things as we encounter your word as we feed on the revelation that you supply. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

 Welcome to The Age of the Egyptians podcast series by Cambridge For Kids. This fifth episode looks at Cleopatra. Cleopatra, who reigned as queen of Egypt during the 1st century B.C., is one of the most famous female rulers in history. Her life inspired a Shakespeare play and several movies. Famous in history and drama as the lover of Julius Caesar and later as the wife of Mark Antony. She was the last of a series of rulers called the Ptolemies who ruled Egypt for nearly 300 years. She was also the last true pharaoh of Egypt.  Written and Narrated by Cambridge University Archaeologist: Matthew John Brookscambridgeforkids.podbean.com

Synopsis: While the Ptolemies intrigue in Coele Syria, Antiochus VIII Grypus and his half-brother Antiochus IX Cyzicenus struggle for seventeen years to win control of the north.  After the rivals die in quick succession, the kingdom comes under control of Seleucus VI and Demetrius III, […] The post Episode T16 – The Sons of Thea first appeared on THE ANCIENT WORLD.

“I'm simply mad about my flat.” Context matters! Why is everyone confused about the Messiah? The Crises of the Maccabees The “crises” of Maccabees was that of Hellenization. God's People had existed peacefully under other Greek rulers like Alexander and the Ptolemies of Egypt. However, there arose a…

The 2019 Ronald Syme lecture was presented by Professor Alan Bowman and introduced by Sir Tim Hitchens. Alexandria was for many centuries, the largest and most important city in the eastern Mediterranean. This lecture explores how Rome tried to ensure its political stability which was crucial for its military control and economic interests in the east. This involved direct and indirect management by the imperial house of its role as the conduit through which the wealth of Egypt and the eastern luxury goods reached the Mediterranean and Italy. At the same time, the complex social and cultural character of its population changed and developed a profile distinct from the earlier period under the Ptolemies, turning it into a 'world-capital' which attracted the presence and influence of elites from Rome and the wider empire.

This is the 7th installment in our study of the book of Zechariah. Truly it is filled with many prophecies regarding YHWH's interaction with the nation of Israel and His plan for the end times. In the first message, we considered the Telescopic Nature of Prophecy. It is important to understand that concept as we consider chapter 9. For in this chapter we see three distinct events in world history: the Coming of Alexander the Great (and his destruction of the city of Tyre), the First Coming of Messiah (Jesus the Christ), and the Second Coming of Messiah. The Bible has alot to say regarding the coming of Alexander and his destruction of Tyre. It is prophesied via Isaiah (chapter 23) and Ezekiel (Chapters 26-28). Daniel chapter 11 prophetically gives great detail regarding the rise of Akexander and the subsequent reigns and battles between the Ptolemies and Seleucids (two of the Alexander's generals who would rise out of the four.) The confirmation of past prophecy that has been fulfilled in great detail brings assurance regarding the fulfillment of that which is still to come! It is important as well, in this passage, to see the contrast between the Ultimate Earthly King and the Divine Messianic King. Earthly kings rule through tyranny. The rule of the Divine Messiah will bring tranquility. This message was presented on October 27, 2019 by Bob Corbin.

Darlings Tre Xavier (Sir Xavier) has come to take his place as KING of the Astrological Ball! I am so happy for y'all to meet my friend. I don't know many people who are as obsessed with Astrology as he is! He lives it. He breathes it. He's speaks it in every waking moment while managing to be the gentleness Divine Masculine you're eyes have ever seen. And STILL will put a bitch in her place (that bitch is me.) We're really in for a treat. He giving us Virgoan accuracy while indulging all our Venusian fantasies! He's bringing brilliant simplicity to his interpretation of the stars! He's dispensing endless wisdom and giving us Astrology as the original psychology realness!! He's stepping on the Ptolemies and the Copernicuses and mixing up a Sun, Moon, Rising centric natal chart cocktail for an affordable price near YOU! Follow Xavier @thenightskyseer

In the first of our special episodes this series we take a look at the Ptolemaic dynasty from Ptolemy I to the final Ptolemy XV. Prepare for murder, intrigue and incest. The Macedonians of Egypt were a wild bunch! Follow us on twitter at https://twitter.com/apochistorySources for the Episode.By the Spear: Philip II, Alexander the Great, and the Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire (Ancient Warfare and Civilization) By Ian WorthingtonA Companion to Ancient Macedonia by Joseph Roisman and Ian WorthingtonA History of Macedonia by R. Malcolm ErringtonAlexander the Great by R. Lane FoxAlexander to Actium: The Hellenistic Age by P. GreenAntigonos the One-Eyed and the Creation of the Hellenistic State (Hellenistic Culture and Society) by R. A BillowsThe House of Ptolemy (Illustrated) by E. BevanPlutarch Translation - The Age of Alexander (Penguin Classics) by T. DuffIf you Wish to support us over at Patreon we would be forever thankful! WITH NEW REWARD TIERS YAY!https://www.patreon.com/ApocalypsehistorySupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/Apocalypsehistory)

Antiochuses and Ptolemies and Cleopatras abound in today’s passage from Daniel–except he didn’t know their names yet. But God knew them and gave them His own names. The kings of the North and the South. Population Growth in Egypt 10 Week Bible Study YouTube Channel 714 Prayer | 714 Prayer on Facebook Help support The […] The post The King of the South | Daniel 11:11-20 | Week 9 Day 2 | Daily Devotional first appeared on DarrenHibbs.com.

Antiochuses and Ptolemies and Cleopatras abound in today's passage from Daniel–except he didn't know their names yet. But God knew them and gave them His own names. The kings of the North and the South. Population Growth in Egypt 10 Week Bible Study YouTube Channel 714 Prayer | 714 Prayer on Facebook Help support The 10 Week Bible on Patreon Free eBook from D.L. Moody on Daniel 10 Week Bible Studies for group and personal study Connect with me on Twitter @DarrenHibbs Sign up here for my newsletter or ask any questions or make any comments by going to my contact form here. View my other Youtube Channel where I tell stories of encounters with God here. The post The King of the South | Daniel 11:11-20 | Week 9 Day 2 | Daily Devotional first appeared on DarrenHibbs.com.

In the first part of this study we conclude a historical walk-through of "king" and "kingdom" found in the Old Testament up to the coming of the true Davidic King, Jesus Christ. Each kingdom is distinguished based upon the subjects of the kingdom and the governance of the kingdom. In the second part of this study we examine the kingdom of power.  The subjects of the kingdom of power include all things: believers and unbelievers, good and evil angels, and irrational creature and the inanimate creation. The Triune God governs this kingdom of power by His omnipotence and omnipresence. At the incarnation, "all authority in heaven and earth" was given to the human nature of Jesus, while His divine nature always possessed it. Here is a summary of the history (in the first part): The Prophet Daniel (Chapters 2, 7 and 8) foretold of four world powers: Babylonia, Medo-Persia, Greece(including the Ptolemies and the Seleucids, Maccabees and Hasmoneans), and Rome. Last week we concluded with the Jewish return to Jerusalem under Cyrus the Persian.  When the Old Testament draws to a close (apx. 400 B.C.), Judea had been province of Persia for 138 years. Although the exiles were allowed to return to Canaan in order to rebuild the Temple, only a small number of Jews actually returned. The exiled Jews had set down roots and were scattered over 128 provinces. The religious practices of Judaism began to change, as they lived apart from the Jerusalem temple, and without the nation of Israel or a Davidic king. Scribes grew in importance, as the Jews retained their identity by clinging to the Word. Emphasis was placed on personal prayer, Sabbath observance, and justice(morality). As the people adopted Imperial Aramaic for their language instead of Hebrew, there was the need for a Methurgeman (interpreter) to paraphrase the readings for the people. Even those Jews who returned were not free.  They were a vassal state of one country and then another.  Sometimes they enjoyed a mild rule and were allowed to practice their faith.  Other times they were severely persecuted.  The Jewish reactions were varied, as seen by Pharisees, Sadducees, and zealots. Alexander the Great conquered the world and spread Greek language and culture wherever he went.  After the death of Alexander, the kingdom split into four parts and fighting for power ensued.  In 320 B.C. Ptolemy took over Egypt and Jerusalem without resistance.  The Hebrew Scriptures were translated into the Greek language in the 3rd century B.C. Although many rulers were kind to the Jews, Antiochus IV Epiphanes sought to make all people devotees of Greek culture.  The Jews objected to this Hellenization program on religious grounds and were severely persecuted.  This persecution caused the Hasmodian period of Independence with the Maccabean revolt by Mattathias and his five sons.  Though they had some success, the Jews always returned to a vassal state.  In 63 B.C. Pompey conquered the city of Jerusalem with the killing 12,000 Jews. When Jesus arrives, Herod The Great had been ruling since 37 B.C.  Although he ruled with an iron fist, it was during his reign that the Temple had been restored.  This concludes the history of "king" and "kingdom" until the coming of Jesus Christ. Handout: Kingdoms-Definitions.pdf Handout 2: King-Chart-Throughout-Time.pdf Overhead 1: Persian.pdf

In this podcast we discuss how fragile and perishable knowledge and learning can be. We discuss the loss of Latin literature in the West, and the dissipation of the holdings of the Alexandrian library of the Ptolemies. It is clear that even a short period of neglect can result in the loss of a catastrophic quantity of irreplaceable knowledge. Every generation must safeguard and promote the legacy of the past, so that future epochs are not deprived of their cultural inheritance. It only took about 200 years of neglect for the majority of Latin literature to become lost to history.  In the east, the great library of Alexandria, along with that of Pergamum, withered away from a combination of apathy, neglect, and the vicissitudes of time.  What lessons can be learned from these sobering facts?

'The first decades of the Hellenistic era are famous for the ever-growing warships of the Ptolemies, but naval warfare wasn't just about who had the biggest ships.' We're discussing Ancient Warfare Magazine XII.4. Taking part in this episode is Jasper Oorthuys, Lindsay, Mark McCaffery, Marc DeSantis and Murray Dahm.

The Ten Horned BeastB. Keith Chadwell, 7.2018 update If an area is dark and we need to see into that area, it makes sense that we would not spend time arguing about the darkness, just flood the area with light.   So… lets shine some light on Daniel, chapter 7:  Daniel 7: v23: "Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.                     Enters: Alexander the great  24a: "And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise:…"      Enters: The Diadochi (Alexanders’ ten immediate successors) 24b: "…and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings;"     Enters:  Rome 25: "And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.      Enters: Roman occupation of Israel (the Saints of the Most High)Enters:  Jesus the Christ; time is divided; BC/AD                            see blog teaching: The dividing of time                     26: "But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end."        27:  "And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."         Enters: The promise of the Father and the new creation (Luke 12:32  Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Matthew 5:3  Blessed arethe poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.) 28: "Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart." Exit:  The old creation (Eph_3:5  Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; ) Now just a bit of factual historical background: 1st  Kingdom…………………Babylonian followed by………………… Mede’s followed by.................…Persian’s  followed by………………… Alexander the Great followed by................... The Diadochi; who were          10 generals who became kings and were from Alexander’s Kingdom; eventually all to be taken over & becoming a part of the Roman Empire.  This is the set up right after Alexander dies;  1.  Ptolemy  …………….......in   Egypt 2.  Lysimachos *………... in   Thrace 3.  Leonnatus     ………....in   Hellespontine & Phrygia 4.  Eumenes………….…......in   Cappadocia 5.  Peithon…………............in   South half of Media 6.  Astropates………….....in   North half of Media 7.   Antigonus…………....in  Lycia, Pomphylia & Pisidia 8.   Menander…………....in  Lydia 9.   Asandrus………… ....in  Caria 10. Laomedon  …………. in  Syria * “Lysimachos was just as successful as his rivals in playing in the role of a new style king” (pg 51) The Greek World After Alexander 323-30 BC The History of these Kings & these Kingdoms and those formed at their expense extends over the 3rd  and 2nd  centuries BC. It is this that constitutes the Hellenistic period proper…… "Hellenistic Period : Following the death of Alexander, the Macedonian generals began to partition his vast empire among themselves. The disagreements arising from this division resulted in a series of wars from 322 to 275 BC, many of which took place in Greece. Thus, one of the characteristics of the Hellenistic period, which lasted from the death of Alexander until the acquisition of Greece as a Roman province in 146 BC, was the deterioration of the Greek city-states as political entities and the gradual decline of Greek political independence as a whole. Nevertheless, the Hellenistic period was marked by the triumph of Greece as the fountainhead of culture, and its way of life was adopted, as a result of Alexander’s conquests, throughout most of the ancient world." Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.             “ The capital of Ptolemaic Egypt, Alexandria, which had been founded by Alexander in 332 BC, developed into a center of Greek learning rivaling and occasionally surpassing Athens. Every part of the Hellenistic world devoted itself to the cultivation of art and intellect. Such men as the mathematicians Euclid and Archimedes, the philosophers Epicurus and Zeno of Citium, and the poets Apollonius of Rhodes and Theocritus were characteristic of the age. So strongly was Hellenistic culture implanted that it became one of the most important elements in early Christianity.""Ancient Greek ideas about art, architecture, drama, philosophy, and mathematics greatly influenced Western civilization. Among the most influential of Greek cultural achievements is the Parthenon in Athens, an outstanding example of classical architecture. The Greek teacher and philosopher Socrates affected Western speculative thought and philosophy with his emphasis on dialogue and rational argument. Greek scientists developed methods of reasoning to demonstrate mathematic principles. Greek dramas set structural and thematic styles emulated by great Western playwrights such as William Shakespeare. " "In Alexandria the Jews came into contact with Greek learning, which profoundly influenced the later religious thought of the world; here the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the   Septuagint, was made before AD 100". Daniel 12:4 But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."…….As the Hellenistic monarchies declined in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Romans gradually extended their control over Greece and the Middle East. The Roman civilization that subsequently became dominant was in many ways a continuation of Hellenistic culture.”Rome:   “Another King will arise & will subdue 3 Kings”   (Daniel 7:24b)  ” Alexanders’ chief officers, all Macedonians, included Antigonus, Ptolemy, and Seleucus.During the winter of 280-281 BC Seleucus, the last of the “Diadochi” (Alexanders companions to have participated in Alexanders conquest & subsequently shared the inheritance.)  The empire of Alexander was by now finally divided into 3 Kingdoms.”    1.  Egypt:The Ptolemies reign would last until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BC and then would be taken over by Rome  (ROMAN CONQUEST)2.  Syria Asia minor & upper Satraps: The Seleucidreign  would last until after the long conflict with Rome and finally disappear in 64 BC when Pompey & Syria were made into a province.  (ROMAN CONQUEST) 3.  Macedon:The Antigonids lost their Kingdom at the battle of Pydna before the (Rome) legions of Aemilius Paullus in 168 BC (ROMAN CONQUEST)."Hellenistic Age (4th-1st century BC), period between the conquest of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great and the establishment of Roman supremacy, in which Greek culture and learning were preeminent in the Mediterranean and the Middle East.” It is called Hellenistic (Greek Hellas, "Greece") to distinguish it from the Hellenic culture of classical Greece. The Hellenistic world was dominated by three great monarchies founded by the successors of Alexander:  Egypt,under the Ptolemies; Syria, ruled by the Seleucids;  and Macedonia,under the Antigonids.” As the Hellenistic monarchies declined in the 2nd and 1st centuries BC, the Romans gradually extended their control over Greece and the Middle East. The Roman civilization that subsequently became dominant was in many ways a continuation of Hellenistic culture.“Greek rule (which itself meant a variety of things) came to an end, generally in favor of Roman rule, at different dates, in different places between 168 B.C. and AD 72;  even then the distinctive city-based culture of the Greeks, modified by centuries of interaction with non-Greek cultures, continued to evolve in new ways for many more centuries.”  (pg.2) The above is a quote from the book; “THE GREEK WORLD AFTER ALEXANDER 323-30 BC”, by Graham Shipley, published by Routledge an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, London and New York, copy write by Graham Shipley 2000.  (Keith’s library)     Other direct quoted excerpts used in this article, unless otherwise noted, are taken from; Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 99. © 1993-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.~ ~ ~

FOUNDATIONAL FRAMEWORK. PART 42Foundational Truths: The Bible is God’s self-revelation.God is the Eternal, Sovereign Creator; all that He creates is good.Man is a responsible agent, held to a moral standard.Sin originates within a person, separating us from God.God declares one righteous by faith alone, apart from works.The glory of God is the centerpiece and goal of all existence.God’s glory is maximally realized in the promised, coming Kingdom.The time period between the Old and New Testaments is known as the “400 Years of Silence.” During this span of time a prophet speaking on behalf of YHWH could not be found. However, this does not mean that history was without Guidance. What brought about this “divine silence?”Ezekiel 8:1-18. This vision took place on September 17, 592 BC (8:1). Ezekiel was a priest in the Temple and a prophet of YHWH. He is noted as part of those who were exiled from the land at the Babylonian invasion in 597 BC. While there, he lived in Telabib next to the Chebar River (Ezek 3:15) and served as a mouthpiece for YHWH, seeing that the elders of Judah sought regular counsel from him in this trying time (8:1; 14:1; 20:1). In 8:1, a vision from the “Lord GOD” (“Adonai YHWH”) comes to him, lifting him up and bringing him to Jerusalem (8:3-4). It is clear from the context of Ezekiel 1:26-27 that the being that appears to the prophet in 8:2 is YHWH Himself. Upon arriving in Jerusalem, the “glory of the God of Israel” is seen. This is none other than the “Skekinah Glory” of YHWH. (“Shekinah” means “to dwell.”)This chapter is broken up into four levels of abominations (meaning “horrible, detestable”). Each pattern is the same with YHWH asking Ezekiel, “do you see?”, followed by “you will see” as each abomination progresses. Each instance makes a solid case against Israel as to why their intimacy with YHWH has been forfeited. This is seen in the remark that YHWH makes in 8:6 where He states, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations which the house of Israel are committing here, so that I would be far from My sanctuary? But yet you will see still greater abominations.” Indulgence in evil, especially after a heightened period of revelation from YHWH, is such that repels Him,moving Him to vacate His intimacy with His chosen people. Or to put it another way, sin separates people from God, regardless if they are believers in Him or not. For the unbeliever, he or she is separated from a relationship with Him because they are still dead in their trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1), while the believer is separated from their fellowship with Him if sin is persistent, habitual, and/or unconfessed (1 John 1:9).#1. 8:5-6. While we are not exactly sure what the “idol of jealousy” is, we do know that YHWH is a jealous God, as stated in the Ten Words in Exodus 20:5. This should not be understood that YHWH experiences jealousy like human beings, but that He experiences jealousy perfectly. This may sound strange, but if YHWH desires the best for His creatures and they are settling for far less than an active relationship and a vibrant fellowship with the Creator of all things, the jealousy of YHWH is rational and warranted because the inferior has been deemed more preferable than the Superior. YHWH will not compete with any god or idol and He most certainly will not make His dwelling place tolerable of such lesser fixtures. He is GOD, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Lord, YHWH.The location specified is the entrance of the altar gate to the north. This was the north gate of the inner court that would lead to the sacrificial altar. Constable writes that, “King Jotham (750-732 B.C.) had built this gate, which apparently did not exist when Solomon first constructed the temple (2 Kings 15:35). Other names for it were the upper Benjamin gate (Jer. 20:2), the new gate (Jer. 26:10; 36:10), the altar gate (Ezek. 8:5), and the upper gate (2 Kings 15:35; Ezek. 9:2).” For such an idol to stand in the way of one making their way to the altar of sacrifice is to deter obedience to YHWH and to encourage allegiance to another.#2. 8:7-12. Ezekiel is told to look through a hole in the wall and to dig away the excess around the hole by which he comes upon a secret door. This secret door leads to a room where seventy elders of Israel are found worshiping created things rather than the Creator of things (Deut 4:16-19; Rom 1:22-23). This is a dangerous scene, for throughout theScriptures we see replete evidence that leaders speak for their nation and when the leaders have gone astray, the people are sure to follow.The one leading the elders of Israel in their secret idolatry is “Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan” (8:11b). Shaphan was the scribe that read the Law to King Josiah for the first time, setting off national reforms with Josiah leading Judah back to YHWH, while at the same time tearing down the altar, idols, and high places that had been built (2 Kgs 22:8-14).The mention is made that these acts were done “in the dark” (8:12b), with the statements of the elders regarding YHWH being made known to Ezekiel. Their mindset/attitude is one that believes that they can hide their idolatry from YHWH, while simultaneously accusing Him of forsaking the Land of Promise. This conclusion would make their belief a result of unbelief.Such secrecy is believed by some to be a result of the worship of Egyptian idols while under Babylonian rule (the two were at fierce odds with one another), while others see such secrecy as an attempt to hide themselves from the eyes of the Almighty. According to the context of the passage, the latter explanation is the correct one, seeing the attitude of the elders is made manifest in their collective statement: “The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land” (12b). The depths of idolatry had robbed the leaders of Israel of their awareness of the basic attribute of God’s omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12; Prov 15:3; Jer 23:23-24) and His promise to care for them while in the land if they would be faithful to Him, obeying His Law (Deut 5:32-33).#3. 8:13-14. The Lord brings Ezekiel to the north gate, which would lead to the inner court of the Temple. This gate is significant because it was the gate that would have been used by the king. The scene before him is of women who are weeping for Tammuz, who was known as the Babylonian god of vegetation, who they believed to be dying and resurrecting each year with the cycle of the seasons. McClain notes that Tammuz was “a heathen god corresponding to the Greek Adonis whoseworship was attended by such licentious orgies that the cult was finally suppressed by Constantine the Great.”With only this one mention of “Tammuz” in the Bible, we may be quick to disregard the seriousness of this moment as seen by Ezekiel. Cooper provides us with some insight as to how deep the seedbed of Tammuz idolatry ran in Israel. He writes, “After the exile the Hebrew calendar included a month called Tammuz, the fourth month (June–July). This was the time for grapes to be harvested. The preservation of the name Tammuz in the calendar suggests the impact this form of pagan worship had on Jewish life and worship, both during and after the exile.”Such devotion to this false deity is an affront to YHWH who is “YWHW Yireh,” the Provider of Israel (Gen 22:14).#4. 8:15-17. Moving into the inner court and standing at the entrance to the Temple, Ezekiel finds himself stationed between “the porch and the altar” just outside the Holy Place (8:16b). The inner court was a place for priests only, which makes their identity clear. “They were the priesthood of the nation, represented here by the presidents of the twenty-four courses with the high priest at their head!” Oh, the violation; seeing that they have prostrated themselves in worship to the sun, meaning that this was the worship of Ra, the god of the sun, as previously seen in Egyptian culture. With their back to the Temple and their faces to the east, toward the sun, their posture symbolizes that they had turned their back on YHWH and the wholly-devoted oath that they had committed to (Exod 19:8), choosing instead to bow before the created, inferior objects of this world (Rom 1:18-21).The First Temple which was built by Solomon was not destroyed by King Nebuchadnezzar until 586 BC, so this “transportation” (vision) that Ezekiel is experiencing was likely revealing real-time events to him (remember, this chapter takes place in 592 BC). This further solidifiedthe reason for YHWH allowing for their captivity and for the destruction that was to come.Ezekiel 9:1-11. This is an awful scene, and one that could have been avoided had the Israelites heeded the Word of YHWH and obeyed His commands. While this passage is plain in speaking for itself, it is important to note that the “glory of the God of Israel” (9:3a) moves from His place over the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of holies to the threshold of the Temple, which is the doorstep.Such judgment is merited because of Israel’s gross sin. YHWH declares that the iniquity of Israel and Judah “is very, very great,” with the land full of blood and perversion being found throughout the city (9:9).Ezekiel 9:1-11. This may seem to be a slight detail, but it is significant nonetheless. The “glory of the Lord,” the Shekinah Glory moves from over the cherubim to the point of filling the court, which could be specified as being only the inner court, in contrast to the mention of the sound of angel’s wings in the outer court (10:5). This would be the same “court” that was previously mentioned in 8:16.YHWH being “over the cherubim” should not be seen as the cherubim that were part of the Mercy Seat that sat upon the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of holies in the Temple, but rather as the cherubim that accompanied YHWH wherever He would go from chapter 1.Ezekiel 11:12, 22-24. This passage captures the third movement of the glory of the Lord away from the Holy of holies, eventually leaving Jerusalem altogether. Verse 12 summarizes the atrocities of the Jews. In a sentence, they have repeatedly broken the Mosaic Covenant. Verses 22-24 find the glory of the Lord, hovering above the cherubim that follow Him, leaving Jerusalem, and positioning Himself outside of the city to the east, above the Mount of Olives. YHWH was no longer dwelling with His people. Cooper writes, “The most severe aspect of God’s judgment was his absence from among his people.” This is known as Ichabod meaning “the Departed Glory.” Hosea 5:14-15 had been fulfilled.Thankfully, we are told in Zechariah 14:4 that when the Lord returns to set up the Millennial Kingdom, He will set His foot down on the Mount of Olives, returning again at the Second Coming in the exact same way that He left.Ezekiel 21:24-27. The charges against Israel are clear: Their sins were something of public knowledge. The Hebrew word translated “remembered” in the NASB is hazkar meaning, “to remember, to be mindful, to bear something in mind, to account, to consider, to contemplate things called back to memory.” It is almost like the sins of Israel had become a memorial to their destruction, being complete self-inflicted and deserving of judgment.The “wicked one, the prince of Israel” is understood to be King Zedekiah who was Judah’s last king. Zedekiah was installed as king of Judah by King Nebuchadnezzar, and was little more than a puppet with little power (2 Kgs 24:11-16). Though he had sworn an oath of allegiance to Babylon, and though he was warned to allow for the wrath of YHWH to proceed without retaliation by Jeremiah (Jer 27:1-17), Zedekiah eventually sided with Egypt in rebellion against the chosen discipline of the Lord, breaking his oath (2 Chr 36:13). The breaking of his word as sworn unto YHWH classified him as a wicked king. He is commanded to remove his turban and to take off his crown (Ezek 21:26b). The crown would remain vacant in Israel until “He comes whose right it is, and I will give it to Him” (Ezek 21:27b), that being the Lord Jesus Christ, the rightful king of Israel.These passages touch upon the reasons for the discipline that fell upon Israel, the vacancy of the Shekinah Glory of YHWH in the Temple, and the absence of a king worthy to rule and lead the people in pursuing righteousness. This justifies the Silent Years. However, YHWH was still moving in history.With the division of Israel into the Northern (Israel) Kingdom and the Southern (Judah) Kingdom, the nation fell into a tailspin spiritually withthe Northern Kingdom being overtaken by the Assyrians in 721 BC and the Southern Kingdom first being attacked in 605 BC (of which the prophet Daniel was taken away) and finally falling to Babylon in 586 BC after a series of invasions in between. Showing themselves to be the dominate superpower of the day, Babylon conquered Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, in 612 BC.In 539 BC, the Medo-Persian Empire invaded Babylon, conquering it and bringing new names to the geographical territories of the Middle East, most notable of which is the renaming of the “Province of Megiddo in the north” to Galilee , which contains Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, and Capernaum, just to name a few of the places that would later be prominent New Testament locations in the life of Jesus Christ.With the Jews being taken captive by Babylon, the Idumeans moved into the southern territory that was once Judah. These people were descended from Esau, being “carryovers” from the Edomites. With the conquering forces of Alexander the Great in 330 BC causing a sweeping infection of Hellenistic culture, a change in the common language and the renaming of many provinces reflected the domination of Greece.When Alexander the Great died, his kingdom was divided between his top four generals. It did not take long for two of these generals to fall to the others, creating the powers of the Ptolemies, which ruled over the provinces of Egypt (which included Israel and Jerusalem), and the Seleucids who reigned over Syria. “Until 198 BC Israel remained under the Ptolemies of Egypt, who did not disturb the Jewish way of worship or forcefully Hellenize the people.” However, Hellenism was zealously promoted by the Seleucids, who in 198 BC set out to conquer Egypt, which resulted in the exchange of Israel to the Seleucids’ control.Though there were a succession of leaders at this time, one leader stood out among them all. Antiochus Epiphanes IV was king of the Syrians who took control of Judea, profaning the Second Temple by sacrificing pigs on the altar and smearing its chopped flesh across the wall of the Templewhile forcing the Levitical Priests to drink the blood. His army killed an estimated 40,000 Jews over a period of three days. Such acts foreshadow the desecration of the Temple of YHWH and the ensuing slaughter that the “man of lawlessness” will enforce during the future seven-year tribulation (Matt 24:15-21; Dan 9:24-27; 2 Thess 2:3-4).When the tyranny and violence of Antiochus seemed at its worst, the Lord God rose up a family that took him and his army to task. Led by their father Mattathias, the Maccabees family (whose name means “the hammer of God”) took a stand for the righteousness of YHWH God. Ironside recounts the story:“There came one day to Modin, Apelles, king Antiochus’ commissioner, to force all the inhabitants to conform to the heathen rites. Recognizing in Mattathias a ruler and an honorable man, Apelles came first to him, demanding that he set the example by sacrificing on the heathen altar which had been set up in the midst of the village. Mattathias indignantly refused, and declared without reservation that neither he nor his sons would harken to the king’s words. As he spoke, a renegade Jew pressed through the throng to offer before the idol. This so stirred the venerable old man that he ran forward and slew not only the transgressor himself, but ere the astonished commissioner realized his danger, he also was slain by Mattathias, who then destroyed the altar. Thus had a second Phinehas arisen in Israel.The breach was made; the king was openly defied.”Such an act set off a firestorm, fueling the flames of insurrection, and paving a path for restoration for the Jewish people. Upon Mattathias’ death in 166 BC, his son Judas took up the cause, leading victory after victory against the Syrians. Again, Ironside captures the scene:“Another and greater army, commanded by Seron, was sent by king Antiochus to annihilate the Jewish company. The two forces met at Beth-horon. Seron, haughty and defiant, at the head of a vast host; Judas, intrepid and strong in faith, but leading a small company, who had been obliged to fast all that day, and were weak and discouraged as theybeheld their insolent foes. ‘How,’ they asked, ‘shall we be able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude, and so strong?’ Like a second Asa, Judas replied: ‘With the God of heaven it is all one to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company.’ Nor was his faith disappointed. Encouraged by the remembrance of the past mercies of Jehovah, the Jews threw themselves, in the apparent recklessness of faith, upon their disdainful foes, and under the daring leadership of Judas, scattered them like chaff before the flails, and completely defeated the Syrians, who fled wildly in all directions, leaving a vast number of dead and wounded on the bloody field. Thus was it demonstrated that one should chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, in reliance upon God their strength.”After 11 years of reigning as king, Antiochus succumbed to a flesh-eating disease. With news of his death, Judas Maccabees led the people in cleansing the Temple of God in 165-164 BC, which is now commemorated as Hanukkah. Eventually winning their independence, the Jews soon experienced in-fighting between the traditional Jews and those Jews who had been heavily influenced by Hellenistic culture. The dispute was such that it eventually attracted the attention of a rising kingdom; a kingdom “as strong as iron; inasmuch as iron crushes and shatters all things, so, like iron that breaks in pieces, it will crush and break all these in pieces” (Dan 2:40). This new world superpower was Rome, who took control of Israel in 63 BC. Though the Jews were in the land, oppression was present once again, setting the perfect stage for the Jewish people to cry out to YHWH for salvation. It was time for His presence to be reintroduced into Israel.John 1:14. While more will be said in the next lesson about the “Word,” what is seen in this verse is that the Word takes on flesh, becoming fully human, even to the point of “dwelling” (or setting up shop if you will) among the human race. Not only does the Word have flesh, and manifests His existence as flesh, but He takes up personal residence among flesh, though they are sinful and depraved.John’s account here is personal. Almost like unleashing a climax of sight and sound, he tells us that he, along with others, beheld His “glory, gloryas of the only begotten from the Father.” This was not just any man, but One who could, and did at one time, radiate the glory of God among people. This “glory” once dwelled upon Mount Sinai after audibly speaking forth the Ten Words to the congregation of Israel (Exod 24:16; 20:1-20). This “glory” is the same glory that dwelt among Israel in the Holy of holies, residing behind a curtain, with demands of cleansing and the appropriation of lamb’s blood for acceptance… the same “glory” that was heartsick over the sins of people that He loved deeply, so much to the point that He judged them by scattering them abroad and removing His personal presence from among them.Sin is tragic, but the God of all glory desires to dwell among His people! In the flesh-person of the “Word,” His residence on earth would be a reintroduction of Himself into the lives of the Israelites, a reintroduction that would be “full of grace and truth.”

Daniel 11 Part 3: Antichrist Future | There is nothing else anywhere - not in any other holy book, not in any history books, not even anywhere else in the Bible - quite like Daniel 11. In one chapter, we have 135 specific and detailed prophecies covering 375 years of future history.Journey 3 | Foundations. Our third journey brings us to back to the foundations of the faith, and delivers some of the greatest stories and characters in the Bible. Genesis recounts the back story for all mankind and begins God's plan for redemption. Daniel presents phenomenal prophecies and the big picture of God's Kingdom, and Romans lays out the heart of the gospel with powerful answers to tough questions. This is Foundations. (84 days)Teacher: Kris LanghamAbout TTW: When the Bible is confusing, Through the Word explains it with clear and concise audio guides for every chapter. The TTW Podcast follows 19 Journeys covering every book and chapter in the Bible. Each journey is an epic adventure through several Bible books, as your favorite pastors explain each chapter with clear explanation and insightful application. Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day, and join us for all 19 Journeys on the TTW podcast or TTW app!Get the App: https://throughtheword.orgContact: https://throughtheword.org/contactDonate: https://throughtheword.org/givingDaniel 11 Themes: History, Greece, Rome, Prophecy, AntichristDaniel 11 Tags: history, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Ptolemies, ptolemy, Egypt, Damascus, King of North, King of South, Antiochus Epiphanes, Antichrist, Jerusalem, temple, abomination, desolation, end timesKey Verses: Quotes: Audio & Text © 2011-2021 Through the Word™ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.Bible Quotes: The Holy Bible New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Daniel 11 Part 2: Antichrist Past | There is nothing else anywhere - not in any other holy book, not in any history books, not even anywhere else in the Bible - quite like Daniel 11. In one chapter, we have 135 specific and detailed prophecies covering 375 years of future history.Journey 3 | Foundations. Our third journey brings us to back to the foundations of the faith, and delivers some of the greatest stories and characters in the Bible. Genesis recounts the back story for all mankind and begins God's plan for redemption. Daniel presents phenomenal prophecies and the big picture of God's Kingdom, and Romans lays out the heart of the gospel with powerful answers to tough questions. This is Foundations. (84 days)Teacher: Kris LanghamAbout TTW: When the Bible is confusing, Through the Word explains it with clear and concise audio guides for every chapter. The TTW Podcast follows 19 Journeys covering every book and chapter in the Bible. Each journey is an epic adventure through several Bible books, as your favorite pastors explain each chapter with clear explanation and insightful application. Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day, and join us for all 19 Journeys on the TTW podcast or TTW app!Get the App: https://throughtheword.orgContact: https://throughtheword.org/contactDonate: https://throughtheword.org/givingDaniel 11 Themes: History, Greece, Rome, Prophecy, AntichristDaniel 11 Tags: history, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Ptolemies, ptolemy, Egypt, Damascus, King of North, King of South, Antiochus Epiphanes, Antichrist, Jerusalem, temple, abomination, desolation, end timesKey Verses: Quotes: Audio & Text © 2011-2021 Through the Word™ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.Bible Quotes: The Holy Bible New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Daniel 11 Part 1: Prophecy with Precision | There is nothing else anywhere - not in any other holy book, not in any history books, not even anywhere else in the Bible - quite like Daniel 11. In one chapter, we have 135 specific and detailed prophecies covering 375 years of future history.Journey 3 | Foundations. Our third journey brings us to back to the foundations of the faith, and delivers some of the greatest stories and characters in the Bible. Genesis recounts the back story for all mankind and begins God's plan for redemption. Daniel presents phenomenal prophecies and the big picture of God's Kingdom, and Romans lays out the heart of the gospel with powerful answers to tough questions. This is Foundations. (84 days)Teacher: Kris LanghamAbout TTW: When the Bible is confusing, Through the Word explains it with clear and concise audio guides for every chapter. The TTW Podcast follows 19 Journeys covering every book and chapter in the Bible. Each journey is an epic adventure through several Bible books, as your favorite pastors explain each chapter with clear explanation and insightful application. Understand the Bible in just ten minutes a day, and join us for all 19 Journeys on the TTW podcast or TTW app!Get the App: https://throughtheword.orgContact: https://throughtheword.org/contactDonate: https://throughtheword.org/givingDaniel 11 Themes: History, Greece, Rome, ProphecyDaniel 11 Tags: history, Persia, Greece, Alexander the Great, Seleucids, Ptolemies, ptolemy, Egypt, Damascus, King of North, King of SouthKey Verses: Quotes: Audio & Text © 2011-2021 Through the Word™ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.Bible Quotes: The Holy Bible New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.

Introduction Scripture divides into two great categories — milk and meat. Milk is the simple doctrine of the Bible, the center piece of which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The milk of the Gospel can be organized into four main categories: God, man, Christ, response. We share this with unbelievers. Workers all over the world have gone abroad to try to explain in culturally understandable ways. First, there is a God who made Heaven and earth, and therefore He has the right to rule as king over everything that He made. As our Ruler, He has given us laws by which we are to live. Those laws are very clear and simple, organized broadly into the Ten Commandments: “You shall have no other gods beside me. You shall not make any idols. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. Remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy; do all your work in six days and rest on the seventh, for God made heaven and earth in six days and rested on the seventh. Honor your father and mother. You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet anything that belongs to your neighbor.” Jesus taught that though we may not have committed murder physically, if we have murderous hearts we are in danger of the fire of hell. We may not have committed physical adultery, but if we have adulterous hearts, looking at one who is not our spouse lustfully, we are in danger of the fire of hell. He probed the inner workings of the heart, and then organized all of the law in two great commandments: the first and greatest is to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” We do not keep these Commandments; we break them every day. It is grace from God to know the truth of that. The second great category is man, or the human race. We were created in the image of God to have a relationship with Him, to love and serve and walk with Him, but we fell into sin in Adam, our first father, who ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. In him the entire human race fell. We were given a sin nature. When we were able to understand the law, we broke it — we violated the Ten Commandments and the two Commandments; we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. As a result, we are threatened with eternal death and hell. We can not save ourselves; we need a Savior. The third category is Christ. God sent his Son into the world, born of the virgin Mary; he lived every single day of his life sinless under the law of God. He obeyed every jot and tittle, every detail perfectly. No one but Jesus has fulfilled the two great Commandments. He loved God with all of his heart; he said, “I always do what pleases him.” Always. And He loved his neighbors as himself, especially by going to the cross for us. Though he had committed no sin and there was no deceit in his mouth, he went to the cross and stood under the fiery wrath of God, who is a consuming fire. He was condemned for us: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.” He offers the free gift of righteousness and full forgiveness of all sins to us. We are able to access that by repentance (turning from our sins) and faith (trusting in Christ). All of our sins can be forgiven. You may know that you have not crossed over from death to life, that you are not a Christian. You have just heard the Gospel, which is milk — that which a child can understand. If you look to the law and know that you are guilty, that you have sinned, and then look to Christ crucified and resurrected with the eyes of your heart, you will see your Savior. You do not have to move a muscle; if you will trust in Jesus, all of your sins will be forgiven. If you genuinely do that, a whole river of righteous acts will start flowing — a commitment to walk in newness of life. Meat is the harder stuff in the word to understand. Peter said about Paul’s writings in 2 Peter 3:16 that he writes some things “that are hard to understand.” (Ironically, some of the hardest statements in the New Testament are written by Peter.) These are beneficial truths — God wants us to know them, but we need spiritual teeth to chew them and it takes a while to understand. Eschatology, or end time teaching, is meat. Here are six reasons why it is hard to understand. First, eschatology is hard to understand because God intends it to be hard to understand. It is not an accident. We do not demand that he learn to make it simpler. He intends to speak to us in language difficult to understand. He wants only believers to get it. He could have written out an exact chronology with names and dates. Daniel 11 is a most astonishing chapter, displaying God’s ability in detail to predict the future. There are 106 uses of the helping verb “will” in the NIV (1984 version), indicating future events. God is showing off. He can give meticulous details about future events. But he did not intend to do that. Instead, he speaks in such a way that only believers will be able to understand, and not all believers equally, but those who need to understand the most will. Second, God has spoken end-time teaching to us in apocalyptic, prophetic, visionary language that is not easy to understand. He uses symbolism — beasts and horns and oceans and winds It is not immediately clear. It needs interpretation, similar to a parable. Third, he has scattered the salient points and Scriptures in different places, such as Matthew 24, 1 John 2, Daniel 7, and Revelation. It requires the work of theologians to put things together. Fourth, the issue of type and fulfillment is a problem. History is filled with events that act out a type of fulfillment of various prophecies that are dress rehearsals of the final. Many people want to stop there, as though they are the final fulfillment. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was clearly not the end — almost 20 centuries of history have occurred since then. But many godly commentators will claim that Matthew 24 is talking about the prophetic destruction of Jerusalem. As Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man,” we see many prophecies that are acted out in small ways, like dress rehearsals,. Hitler was a dress rehearsal, a type of antichrist, very tragic and difficult, but he died in the bunker and history has continued since his time. He was an antichrist, but not the one final Antichrist. Fifth, we have a story with complex chronology. It is hard to follow, not easy to understand. Sixth, current events and exegesis of Scriptures must be married, lined up simultaneously. Many generations have sought to line these things up, but because of so many misfires and predictions that didn't come true, some would discard the whole thing. We are looking at the big picture of eschatology to help bring context to our study of Revelation. Christianity is a unique religion in the world and this is apologetic material. When you are talking to Muslims, atheists, or Buddhists, this is a weapon of truth you can use. Christianity is the only prophetic religion in the world, ultimately. Judaism had prophecies, but it is derailed by not seeing their fulfillment in Christ. There are some Islamic pseudo-prophecies, but with research, you see they are not true. Buddhism and Hinduism do not care about current events at all. They are trying to escape this evil world by denial, saying it is all an illusion, so they make no attempt to make predictions of the future. Christianity alone does this. God said repeatedly in the book of Isaiah that He is the only one who can do it. Isaiah 46:10 says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’” He is talking about Cyrus the Great and Persia, but it is also a general true principle that He is the only one who knows the future. Isaiah 14:26-27 says, “This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the LORD Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” God makes a plan, and his sovereign power orchestrates that His plan will certainly take place. Christianity is the only religion that can accomplish His purposes. In Revelation 12, we saw, in apocalyptic visionary writing, a red dragon — the devil, Satan, that ancient serpent who leads the whole world astray. He pursues a glorious, radiant woman, who is best interpreted as Israel because she gives birth to the male child. From the Jews came the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all. Her radiance and glory imply that the children whom the heavenly Zion gives birth are believers in Christ, Jew and Gentile alike. The dragon, Satan, pursues the woman and her children in Revelation 12:17: “Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring — those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” That rage has been going on for 20 centuries. There has been tribulation in every single century. That recapitulation — as it was so it will be — happens throughout history, but it ramps up at the end such that Jesus said in Matthew 24:21-22, “For then there will be great distress [or great tribulation] unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened.” There will be days of tribulation so great nothing like them will have ever been seen in the history of the world. The events of the destruction of Jerusalem in the temple in AD 70 by the Romans do not line up with that pronouncement. The Romans did that all the time. Yes, they killed many Jews, but there remains a far worse future suffering. That section of Revelation 12 ends with the dragon in Revelation 13:1 standing on the shore of the sea, “a beast coming up out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.” This culminates in the Antichrist who is coming and whom we seek to understand today. The beast is a wicked worldwide empire culminating in one ruler over it who will enact these great persecutions in the name of the devil, though he does not understand that is what he is doing. The image of a beast, terrifying and powerful, emerging from the sea, who assaults the people of God and in some sense is able to conquer them, comes directly from the book of Daniel. Essential Lessons from the Book of Daniel The Beasts from the Sea and the Little Horn Daniel 7 and Revelation 13 are clearly connected. Revelation 13 begins with Satan the dragon standing at the seashore summoning the beast from the sea, who ultimately is the Antichrist. That image comes directly from Daniel 7 in which Daniel has a dream of four beasts that come up out of the sea. The sea is turbulent, the winds are ripping the ocean, shredding and churning it, and in succession one beast after another emerges from it. In Daniel 7, the beasts are interpreted as kingdoms, not individuals, including the fourth beast. But the horns of the fourth beast refer to the ruler of that wicked kingdom. In the end the potentate of that wicked kingdom is associated with the kingdom itself as in World War II in which Hitler was the enemy, as though killing him would end the whole thing. Everyone knew that there was a whole Nazi war machine, a whole empire, that had to be conquered, but Hitler was the head. It will be even more so in the days of the Antichrist. The supernatural control he will have over the empire will be unparalleled in history. In the end, the beast becomes one person but it starts as an empire. If there is not an empire behind him, there is nothing to fear. He is just a guy on the street corner saying things. But if he has a worldwide police state empire behind him, there is something to fear. The fourth beast is the most terrifying of all. It has 10 horns, like the beast in Revelation 13. In apocalyptic or visionary imagery, the horn is a king, an individual who holds focused power. One of the horns, called the little horn, grows up and supplants the other horns. It has the eyes of a man and speaks boastfully; it ultimately represents the Antichrist. He derives power comes from his mind and his skill and his mouth, not from his own stature. He is a conniver, a deceiver, able to supplant others by assassination and trickery and other devious methods. Methodologically, I can tell the story — what I think will happen going forward — and not cross reference any Scriptures, but I want to teach you to root everything in Scripture and that is what takes time. If nothing else, I want you to understand methodology and what Scriptures to look at and have you put the story together. Daniel 7:8 says, “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.” The eyes represent intelligence and the mouth speaks with arrogance and boastfulness. In the middle of the vision, we have a significant prophecy about Jesus in the Old Testament. Jesus refers to it repeatedly when He called himself the Son of Man, His favorite title for himself. In doing so, he seems to be pointing his listeners to this portion of Daniel. The vision of what is happening on earth with the beasts and everything is suddenly interrupted to show what is happening meanwhile up in Heaven. We see a throne with Almighty God, the Ancient of Days, seated on it. This is God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. A river of fire flows from the throne. This is the judgment and wrath of God on empires who will persecute His people and who will not worship Him. This is one of the main lessons of the book of Daniel, which God taught to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:25: “…the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes.” No matter what Satan says, that he rules the whole world, he does not. God does, and He rules actively over everything. He is sovereign. It is comforting to us as Christians to ponder this vision of the throne of God and the river of fire flowing from it. The scene goes back to the horn, speaking arrogantly. Verse 11 says, “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking. I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.” The empire of the horn will be destroyed. It has been destroyed, but that is just a dress rehearsal, and it will be destroyed again with finality. The blazing fire represents Hell, as we see at the end of the book of Revelation. Isaiah 53 contains the most significant prediction of Jesus’ atoning sacrifice; Daniel 7:13-14 gives us the most significant prediction and prophecy of who Jesus is in His person. “In my vision at night, I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of Heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The only explanation for this vision is Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, coming into the presence of God the Father, the first person of the Trinity. Jesus receives from God all authority in Heaven and earth, as we know from the Great Commission, and he has the right to set up a kingdom that will never end. All peoples and nations and men of every language will worship him — he is worthy. We believe in the incarnation, that Jesus is both the Son of Man — fully human, and the Son of God — fully God. He is not God the ultimate Father, King God — he is equal to and like Him but a separate person. What is given to the Son of Man is the very thing the little horn and the dragon want. They are in direct competition for this authority, glory, sovereign power, and for all peoples, nations and men of every language to worship him. But Jesus is will win. The Antichrist will not achieve his goal. The vision focuses on the fourth beast and the little horn. The key aspects of the little horn are his astonishing arrogance and blasphemy and his small stature. He rises up to dominate using the power God gives him to attack the people of God and slaughter them for a short time. Verses 19 says, “Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and its bronze claws — the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled under foot whatever was left.” That describes the worldwide empire — Rome was a type of this prophecy, but as it was in the days of Rome, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man, but even worse. Imagine a Gestapo-like police state that can crush any opposition in the world, both armies on the field and individuals and their personal freedoms. Verses 20-21 continue, “I also wanted to know about the ten horns on his head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell — the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully. As I watched, this horn was waging war against the saints and defeating them.” That is the point of Jesus’ various warnings to his disciples: “When you see your brothers and sisters being slaughtered, do not give in to the temptation to abandon your faith in me. Remember that I have told you these things ahead of time. Do not fear. Be strong. I am the Resurrection and the Life. You will live forever. You will be given a martyr’s welcome into Heaven and will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of your Father.” The beast is given power to wage war against the saints and defeat them physically on earth, “until [(verse 22) what a blessed word that is] the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment [a ruling from the supremest of all Supreme Courts] in favor of the saints of the Most High [your days, oh Antichrist are done], and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.” The little horn wages war and the Antichrist will kill many like he killed the two witnesses in Revelation 11. They were powerful, but God gives the beast from the Abyss the power to rise up, overpowers and kill them. Verses 23-24 say, “[The angel] gave me this explanation: The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on the earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down, and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings.” The Antichrist will be a king of kings. It makes sense. Right now we have many nations, each with its own potentate, ruler, president or prime minister. He will have the political and military skill to subdue all other kings to consolidate them all under one worldwide government. Verse 25 continues: “He will speak against the Most High [blasphemy] and oppress His saints and try to change the set times and the laws [he will try but fail to get longer than three-and-a-half years to make changes]. The saints will be delivered into his hands for a time, times and half a time [“a time” is one year, “times” is two years, and “half a time” is half a year; together that is three-and-a-half years]. But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the saints of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom and all rulers [that is us] will worship and obey Him [that is Jesus].” He will be perfected — the King of righteous kings and the Lord of righteous lords who have been saved by grace through faith. These kings and lords are not wicked usurper kings but people who worship him and rule their domains and the new Heaven and the new Earth under him. Seventy Weeks Daniel 9 puts the 70 weeks context. Daniel, in exile in Babylon, reads from the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecy, which gives the clear prediction that the exile will last 70 years. He begins to pray in a marvelous way in Daniel 9:1-19, that God would fulfill His promise that He made in Isaiah and other places to restore the Jews back to the Promised Land and allow them to flourish again. God dispatches the angel Gabriel to give him the answer, which is the 70 weeks. He gives Daniel more than he bargained for — more than he can understand and more than we can understand. He goes far beyond the restoration of the Jews and the rebuilding of the temple written about in Haggai. He includes not only the time of the first coming of Christ who would be cut off, but also the end that Jesus spoke about — the abomination of desolation — which was future even to Jesus at the time. Daniel receives a timetable of seventy “sevens,” or seventy weeks. A “seven” is a seven-year period. Seventy seven-year periods is 490 years total. But they are divided in an unusual, difficult to understand pattern. That is why this is meat, not milk. In Daniel 9:24, Gabriel partially unfolds God’s timetable and purpose: “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your Holy City to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.” Christians see the words “atone for wickedness” and know immediately there has ever been only one atonement for sin and wickedness, which is the blood of Jesus Christ. That phrase refers to redemption through his blood. The other five items on that list include finish transgression, put an end to sin, bring in everlasting righteousness (eschatological glory), seal up vision and prophecy and anoint the Most Holy. He continues in verse 25: “Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until the Anointed One [or Messiah], the ruler, comes, [that is a timetable between two specific points in time] there will be seven ‘sevens’ and sixty-two ‘sevens’.” It is not clear why the sixty-nine weeks are broken up into seven and sixty-two, but sixty-nine times seven years is 483 years from the issuing of a decree to rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah comes. Jerusalem was rebuilt in stages, so there would have been a number of such decrees. This particular one would have been issued sometime in the era of Medo-Persian rule. Some try to reverse-engineer to determine the exact time Jesus entered Jerusalem, even up to the eighth decimal point, though very few real-world things are measured with that precision (certainly not apocalyptic visionary prophecy). Like golf, these sixty-nine weeks get us on the green with about a one-inch putt. Was there anybody around 500 years after Persian rulers first decreed that Jerusalem be rebuilt who is worth our attention and study? The book of Hebrews argues that although we do not see the fulfillment of all prophecy, we do know one person who fits this description — Jesus. From the time when Persian rulers started to issue decrees that Jerusalem be rebuilt until Jesus the Messiah comes was 483 years. What about that last seven — why did he stop at sixty-nine? Verses 25-26 continue: “It [Jerusalem] will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the 62 sevens [equaling 69 sevens] the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing [Jesus was rejected and killed by the Jewish nation; He had no allegiance from the them]. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary [multiple times, not just once]. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.” That general statement is similar to Jesus’ statement in Matthew 24:6 and 8, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars … All these are the beginning of birth pains.” That covers the intervening time between the 69th week and the final 70th week. History will unfold with wars and rumors of wars and other events. Verse 27 says, “He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ [a repeated reference to three-and-a-half years — time, times and half a time; 1260 days; 42 months] he will put an end to sacrifice and offering [implying animal sacrifice and offering will be reestablished in a physical temple]. And on a wing [some versions add “of the temple”] he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.” Jesus urged the reader of Daniel to read with understanding, which is not easy. In the middle of this seven-year period still to come, after he makes a covenant to establish animal sacrifice, he will stop sacrifices to set himself up, as Paul says, “in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” [2 Thessalonians 2:4] The Angel’s Message In Daniel 10, we meet a mighty angel who gives him a revelation, similar to the mighty angel in the book of Revelation. He gives Daniel all the content for Daniel 11 and 12. The angel says in Daniel 10:14, “Now I have come to explain to you what will happen to your people [the Jews] in the future, for the vision concerns a time yet to come.” He introduces Daniel to the name of the archangel Michael, whom he designates as the special prince, an archangel who protects the Jews as a nation, the same angel who fights the red dragon in Revelation 12. “Antichrists” and The Antichrist Daniel 11 reveals many antichrists but points to one final Antichrist who will come. Daniel 11 covers the history of the Jews under the domination of Gentile kings, first the Persians briefly, and then the Greeks. The Greeks were the successors of the first Greek king, Alexander, who rose to a height of power. At the height of his power he was cut off and his kingdom divided into fourths. He had no sons, so it was given to his four generals. Two of them in particular rule over what we know as modern day Palestine, or the Promised Land. The kings of the North were the Seleucids who ruled over the Syrian area. The kings of the South were the Ptolemies, who ruled over Egypt. They would meet in battle again and again in Israel or Palestine. The Jews were trampled on by these Greek kings as they fought each other for control. The drama of those battles gives us a picture of the future ultimate Antichrist. In Daniel 11:36-37, one of these literal Greek kings, whom we can identify as Antiochus IV, called Epiphanes because he claimed to be a God, lived about two centuries before Christ. He was arrogant and blasphemous, and openly defiled the Jewish temple by erecting a statue of Zeus and offering pig’s blood in the Holy of Holies. He was not the final Antichrist. He was a minor Greek king who died, and that was that. But his activities are predicted in both Daniel 8 and Daniel 11. Daniel 11:36-37 seem to go far beyond anything Antiochus ever did: “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. [He will be successful until the clock runs out on him.] He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.” Antiochus IV never did that. He actually honored the Greek gods, which is why he set up a statue of Zeus. Paul applies these words from Daniel 11 to a yet-future man of sin in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 with a near-paraphrase: “…for [the day of the Lord] will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness [who must be the Antichrist] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” That specific arrogant self-worship blasphemy did not happen when the Romans burned Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Titus, who burned it down, did not want it burned and tried to put the fire out, but it had gone too far. From the book of Hebrews, we know that God will never again accept animal sacrifice. The blood of bulls and goats is done, as far as God is concerned, but that does not mean there will not be a temple built. The man of lawlessness will set himself up in the temple the Jews are honoring, that they want rebuilt, which Paul calls “God’s temple.” He will proclaim himself to be God but is not God, any more than the building is God’s temple; but because the Jews think it is, it is a good platform for incredible blasphemy. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 says, “The lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” That is not apocalyptic or visionary. It is an epistle, telling us what will happen. A man of sin is coming who will set himself up in “God’s temple”, proclaim himself to be God, and do signs and wonders. People will be deceived and will worship him. Then Jesus will come back and will destroy him. The Final Generation and the Counting of the Days At the end of Daniel 12, you have a counting of days. The angels ask how long it will be, a question they ask frequently. In every case, the answer is that we cannot know the exact time of the end. There will be a generation of Christians who will know the exact day of Jesus’ return. This 42 month, or 1,260 day, or 3 1/2 year period has been spelled out repeatedly and so clearly that we are waiting for it to happen. Jesus told us that when the abomination of desolation is set up, to start the clock. We have an exact measure which we do not yet know where to begin, but the starting point will be known when it is time, and then we will know how long until Jesus returns. Even more fascinating, to add to the puzzle, the end of Daniel 12 mentions 1,290 and 1,335 days, 30 and 45 days beyond the 1,260 days respectively. Daniel wanted to understand what it all meant, but God told him it was not for him to understand and to seal up the prophecy until the time of the end. The people who live then will understand. For those living in the final generation, when they see the abomination of desolation, they can start the clock. Remember that if those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect, they will be shortened. You will get to know how many more days remain because it will be horrible. Counting the Days Until the End Recall how Jesus said “As it was in the days of Noah so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” In Matthew 24:36, he says, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” In Acts 1:6-8, the apostles were told, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus even said, “No one knows, not even the son, but only the father.” We know he knows now; he knew when he ascended to heaven. He is telling us that no one knows now when that day will come. He was telling his disciples that he would not be returning later that afternoon. They had work to do, to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. We also have work to do. We are building an ark where people can be rescued from the wrath to come. As it was in the days of Noah, there is a place of refuge to go to. The ark we are building is not made of wood nor covered with pitch. It is the Gospel message, an invisible Church, into which you enter to find safety from the wrath to come. In Genesis 7:4, God said to Noah, “Seven days from now I will send rain on the Earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the Earth every living creature I have made.” A week, a month, a year before that statement was made, did Noah know the exact day of the flood? No. What was he supposed to do? Finish the ark. After that statement was made, did he know the exact time the flood would come? Yes, he was able to count down until the exact day. He knew the day the flood was to come, and so it did As it was in the days of Noah, there will be a counting down. It is not for us. We do not see the temple or the abomination of desolation set up in it. It is not the Roman Catholic church or cults or false leaders. Our job is to build the ark, to preach the Gospel, until the Lord returns. But there will be a generation that will need to know. They will understand the 1,260 days, the 1,290 days and the 1,335 days. Closing Prayer Father, thank you for the details that we have studied in the book of Daniel today, getting ready for Revelation 13. Lord, I thank you for all the things that we can learn from studying this incredible prophet. I thank you for the things that we learned in the book of Revelation. Give us perseverance to be able to chew on the meat and swallow. Help us to put together a chronology and an understanding of what is yet to come. But in the meantime, God, help us to build; help us to be like the missionaries we send overseas; help us to be godly parents. Help us to do our role of leading people to Christ. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

In this episode we look at Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol X, issue 2 "Wars in Hellenistic Egypt: Kingdom of the Ptolemies". We have a big group of guests with usuals Josho, Murray, Mark and Lindsay, also joining us is Marc de Santis and Seán Hußmann.

In this episode we look at Ancient Warfare Magazine Vol X, issue 2 "Wars in Hellenistic Egypt: Kingdom of the Ptolemies". We have a big group of guests with usuals Josho, Murray, Mark and Lindsay, also joining us is Marc de Santis and Seán Hußmann.

When one comes to the book of Daniel and chapter 11 Daniel is given a prophecy of what would take place after Cyrus, and then after Alexander the Great.  The prophecy then focuses on two of the Alexander’s successors, the Ptolemies and the Seleucids which are termed the King of the North and the King of the South.  The prophecy is so accurate that critics have tried to say that it must have been written after the fact!

When one comes to the book of Daniel and chapter 11 Daniel is given a prophecy of what would take place after Cyrus, and then after Alexander the Great.  The prophecy then focuses on two of the Alexander’s successors, the Ptolemies and the Seleucids which are termed the King of the North and the King of the South.  The prophecy is so accurate that critics have tried to say that it must have been written after the fact!

Explore the Intertestamental Period and consider a timeline of the Intertestamental Period. In 539 BC, the Jews were finally back home from the exile. John the Baptist in Matthew 11:3 asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go tell John what you hear and see: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.” (Matthew 11:4-5) The Elephantine Papyri speaks of a colony in which an alternate temple was built and other gods were worshipped along with YHWH. The Samaritans had an idea of a different kind of temple. The great historical debate was which temple was really the temple of God. Consider that when Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, control of his empire was fought over by the Diadochi (successors). To the north of Israel, the Seleucids gained control. To the south of Israel, the Ptolemies gained control. Many battles between the Seleucids and Ptolemies took place on Israel’s soil. Consider that Hellenization was seen in linguistic terms – everyone was to learn common Greek. The New Testament was written in Greek because it was the language of that day. Hellenism was also a Greek worldview and went against some of the basic elements of Judaism – circumcision, the food laws, and the Sabbath. Non-assimilation by some led to the controversy in the New Testament.

Explore the context of the New Testament. We want to live with it, think it, hear it, need the Gospel, and live from it so that we can speak it again. The Gospels, letters, and Revelation are addressed to real people living real lives with real problems and real pain. It narrates and tells us accounts of real people and real things that happened. The goal is to get in touch with the realities of the first century. The Good News is what people in the New Testament needed, it is what Jesus is, it is what we need and it is what Jesus is to us. In 586-587 BC Jerusalem was captured and destroyed by the Babylonians. In 722 BC, the northern tribes had been captured by the Assyrians. During the Exile Period, the Jewish people were exiled into Babylon. During the Persian period, King Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return back. Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle the Persian period. Ezra is the priestly figure that reminds the people of the Law. Nehemiah is the great rebuilder of the walls of Jerusalem. The temple in Jerusalem was also rebuilt. The Second Temple Period is the time between the rebuilding and destruction by the Romans in 70 AD. During Second Temple Judaism, the temple, although rebuilt, was not the only center of worship. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were different groups within Judaism. The Pharisees were ordinary people who wanted to take the priestly regulations and make them applicable for everyone. The Sadducees were the priestly class from noble families who denied the resurrection. They were the leadership making religious decisions in Jerusalem as related to the temple. The Essenes were more of a monastic movement. A community of Essenes lived at Qumran and is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The Zealots, although not a religious order, were a group who displayed unrest. Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and took Greek culture everywhere. The New Testament is written in Greek because of Alexander the Great. The Seleucids and Ptolemies competed for control of Palestine after Alexander’s empire split in two. The Jews waged a successful revolution under the Seleucid reign and obtained independence for a while.

Explore the context of the New Testament. We want to live with it, think it, hear it, need the Gospel, and live from it so that we can speak it again. The Gospels, letters, and Revelation are addressed to real people living real lives with real problems and real pain. It narrates and tells us accounts of real people and real things that happened. The goal is to get in touch with the realities of the first century. The Good News is what people in the New Testament needed, it is what Jesus is, it is what we need and it is what Jesus is to us. In 586-587 BC Jerusalem was captured and destroyed by the Babylonians. In 722 BC, the northern tribes had been captured by the Assyrians. During the Exile Period, the Jewish people were exiled into Babylon. During the Persian period, King Cyrus decreed that the Jews could return back. Ezra and Nehemiah chronicle the Persian period. Ezra is the priestly figure that reminds the people of the Law. Nehemiah is the great rebuilder of the walls of Jerusalem. The temple in Jerusalem was also rebuilt. The Second Temple Period is the time between the rebuilding and destruction by the Romans in 70 AD. During Second Temple Judaism, the temple, although rebuilt, was not the only center of worship. The Sadducees and the Pharisees were different groups within Judaism. The Pharisees were ordinary people who wanted to take the priestly regulations and make them applicable for everyone. The Sadducees were the priestly class from noble families who denied the resurrection. They were the leadership making religious decisions in Jerusalem as related to the temple. The Essenes were more of a monastic movement. A community of Essenes lived at Qumran and is where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The Zealots, although not a religious order, were a group who displayed unrest. Alexander the Great conquered the Persians and took Greek culture everywhere. The New Testament is written in Greek because of Alexander the Great. The Seleucids and Ptolemies competed for control of Palestine after Alexander’s empire split in two. The Jews waged a successful revolution under the Seleucid reign and obtained independence for a while.