MALACHI TO MATTHEW (2)

1. The Maccabean Period

a) At the height of the excesses of Antiochus, the Jews, forced to idol worship, and to eat the flesh of unclean sacrifices, rose under the leadership of an old patriot named Mattathias. This man, with his five sons, the "Maccabees", became the valiant leaders of the great fight for Jewish independence. The first stand was made, and Epiphanes openly defied, when his commissioner endeavored to force the people to heathen rites, and subjection to the rule of the tyrant invader. Mattathias, as the representative of the people, indignantly refused, slew the commissioner, and fled to a mountain retreat, rallying the people to follow him and to make a desperate bid for liberty.

b) In less than a year the old warrior died, and his son Judas succeeded him in the struggle. Under his inspiring leadership, and restored faith in God, every army that was sent out against them was defeated, until at last Judas Maccabeus was successful in throwing off the yoke of the foreign invader, and establishing the independence of the Jews. The Maccabean family now governed for a period of one hundred years. They reopened, cleansed, and rededicated the Temple, and some of the spendor of the old days of the kingdom was restored. The end of Jewish independence was brought about by several contributing factors. The Maccabean leaders finally became selfish and ambitious. Greed for position and material things overcame their patriotism. Party divisions weakened the common cause, for this period gave rise to the three great parties, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes. The successors of Antiochus, continued to fight against Jewish independence, invading the land with a large army, determined upon the destruction of the regained Kingdom, the brother of Judas was slain, and after another year of hardship, discouragement and confusion, Judas made the first alliance with Rome. Rome was fast becoming a dominant world power, and, as Daniel predicted in his prophecies, this "beast with the iron teeth," did rise, and tear and devour.

c) Although the alliance seemed likely to promise peace for Israel, the Jews were destined to find in Rome a persecutor beyond them all.

d) The end of the struggle for independence came when the Roman army under Pompey, besieged the beloved city, storming the walls, utterly destroying the Temple with ruthless massacre beyond description, and henceforth Judea was a Roman province. Julius Caesar followed Pompey, coming to Syria forty-seven years before the birth of the one who came to bring peace to a troubled world.

e) Caesar appointed Antipator as ruler over Judea. Antipator appointed his two sons to authority. Phasael over Galilee, Herod over Jerusalem. Herod was about twenty years of age when his father appointed him as governor over Judea. After a few years of cruel events, he was appointed King of Judea and the Jews. It was during Herod's reign that Jesus was born. It is here that Matthew takes up the story, in the opening pages of the New and better covenant.

f) When Christ came, the Roman Empire dominated the western world, and had united it under a vast uniform political system with Rome as the center. Magnificent roads, made every part of their empire accessible. The conquests of Alexander the Great, and the rise and influence of the Greecian Empire, gave the world a universally understood language. The Greek language becoming generally known and understood throughout the world. There were three great national groups in world affairs, the Romans, the Greeks, and the Jews, and each was destined in it own peculiar way, to help to prepare the world for the gospel seed in the hearts of men everywhere.