Antiochus Epiphanes – Who was he?

TL;DR:

Antiochus Epiphanes was a king whose oppression of the Jews led to the Maccabean revolt. Desecrating the temple and his desire for power made Antiochus Epiphanes a precursor to the Antichrist of the end times.

what does the bible say?

Antiochus IV, a king of the Seleucid Empire, reigned from 175 BC to 164 BC and is seen as a precursor to the prophesied Antichrist, partially fulfilling prophecies in Daniel about the desecration of the temple. His severe persecution of the Jews, including banning Jewish practices and enforcing worship to Zeus, led to the Maccabean revolt. Jesus later referred to Daniel's prophecies, indicating that their ultimate fulfillment would occur in the end times. The New Testament descriptions of the Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians align with Antiochus's actions and self-deification, reinforcing the notion of a partial yet future fulfillment. Antiochus's oppressive reign earned him the Jews' derisive nickname "Epimanes," meaning "mad one."

from the old testament

Many see Antiochus Epiphanes as a foreshadowing of the prophesied Antichrist. Daniel 9:27, 11:31, and 12:11 tell of the temple being profaned and offerings stopped. Although these prophecies have a future fulfillment in the end times, Antiochus Epiphanes also fulfilled these prophecies. Antiochus reigned from around 175 BC until around 164 BC in what is now Syria and was known for severe persecution of Jews. This oppression led to the Maccabean revolt. The Maccabean conflict began when some of the Jews, the Hellenists, integrated Greek culture and pagan practices into their communities. Others, the Traditionalists, continued to follow Mosaic law and custom. When civil war between the two Jewish factions seemed imminent, Antiochus ordered all Jews to worship Zeus and made practicing Jewish rites and worshiping Yahweh illegal in an effort to extinguish Jewish culture. The Jews rebelled. Antiochus attacked Jerusalem, stealing items from the temple, setting up an altar to Zeus, and sacrificing a swine to Zeus, fulfilling the prophecies in Daniel. Antiochus then had many Jews killed and others sold into slavery. He outlawed circumcision, making it a capital offense, and ordered Jews to sacrifice to pagan gods and eat pork. Judas Maccabaeus led a rebellion known as the Maccabean revolt from around 167—166 BC, winning battle after battle, including the defeat of Antiochus and restoration of the temple circa 165 BC.

from the new testament

Jesus referred to the prophecies foretold by Daniel with the abomination of desolation and the desolation of Jerusalem as future events in Matthew 24:15–16, Mark 13:14, and Luke 21:20–21. Although Antiochus Epiphanes partially fulfilled the prophecies, Jesus reveals that there will be a future fulfillment of them in the end times.
The descriptions of the Antichrist in 2 Thessalonians could also describe Antiochus Epiphanes, again revealing a partial fulfillment with a future fulfillment in the end times. Second Thessalonians 2:3–4 describes the Antichrist saying, “Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God.” Antiochus IV took upon himself the title Epiphanes, meaning the "illustrious one" or "god manifest." As a response to his persecution of the Jews, the Jews nicknamed him Epimanes, meaning "mad one."

implications for today

Pride is confidence and satisfaction in oneself. The Bible warns us about pride. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that “pride goes before destruction.” Psalm 10:4 tells us that pride keeps unbelievers from seeking God; “all this thoughts are, ‘There is no God.’” Pride keeps people consumed with themselves instead of recognizing their need for God and seeing themselves rightly. While there is a time and place to be proud of a job well done (Galatians 6:4), there is never a time to elevate oneself above others or to think one has no need of God. Pride is a sin because it is giving oneself credit for something that God has accomplished. Pride is self-worship. Truly, everything we accomplish is from God who gave us the opportunity and who empowered us to do so (1 Corinthians 4:7; Philippians 2:13). Pride caused Antiochus to give himself a new name and to demand power, respect, and worship. Pride caused Antiochus to defy God and to persecute the Jews. Pride caused Antiochus to demand worship and to desecrate the altar of the temple. Antiochus’s reign eventually ended, revealing the limits of his pride. Satan wanted to be God and was cast out of heaven because of pride (Isaiah 14:12–15). Antiochus Epiphanes thought of himself proudly and was eventually cast down. Pride leads to destruction. Instead, Romans 12:3–8 tells us that we should think of ourselves with sober judgment, not thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to. We can do this when we recognize that what we have is from God and when we seek to use our unique abilities, accomplishments, and wirings to build others up.

understand

Antiochus Epiphanes is not directly mentioned in Scripture but he fulfilled some prophecies from Daniel about the Antichrist. Given that the New Testament confirms those prophecies are also yet-future, Antiochus Epiphanes is often seen as a partial-fulfillment or a type of Antichrist.
Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple by sacrificing swine on the altar.
Antiochus Epiphanes was a prideful king who sought power, demanded worship, and caused the Maccabean revolt

reflect

How can understanding the severity of Antiochus Epiphanes's pride influence my approach to humility?
In what ways do I see pride affecting my own life, and how can I work towards acknowledging and mitigating it?
How do the historical events of Antiochus Epiphanes's reign and the Maccabean revolt challenge or strengthen my faith and understanding of biblical prophecy?

engage

First John 4:3 warns us that “every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” What qualities define the spirit of the antichrist, and how can we stay vigilant to recognize what is against Christ?
How does the story of Antiochus Epiphanes and his persecution of the Jews help us understand the nature of the Antichrist described in the New Testament?
What are the similarities and differences between the historical events involving Antiochus Epiphanes and the future fulfillment of prophecies mentioned by Jesus?