God's Preservation Of His People Through Two Dreams

The amazing story is told by the historian Josephus.xxxviii When Alexander began his campaign against Phoenicia, he sent messengers to Juddua, the high priest in Jerusalem, “demanding aid from the Jews and the payment of the tribute which they used to pay to the King of Persia.”xxxix Not wanting to break his oath to Darius, the high priest refused. So, after he defeated Gaza, Alexander proceeded toward Jerusalem to subjugate them as he had done to the other nations in this campaign.xl

When the high priest knew Alexander was coming, he was alarmed and called the people to prayer for God’s protection. In answer to their prayers, God instructed Juddua in a dream to “adorn the city and open the gates.” He and the priests were to meet Alexander in their priestly garments, and the rest of the people were to all wear white. They were to do this “without the dread of any ill consequences.” This was to be an act of obedient faith. I will now read directly from Josephus’s account.

“And when he [Juddua] understood that he [Alexander] was not far from the city, he went out in procession, with the priests, and the multitude of citizens. The procession was venerable, and the manner of it different from that of other nations. It reached to a place called Sapha; which name, translated into Greek, signifies a prospect, for you have thence a prospect both of Jerusalem and of the temple; and when the Phoenicians and the Chaldeans that followed him [Alexander], thought they should have liberty to plunder the city, and torment the high priest to death, which the king’s displeasure fairly promised them, the very reverse of it happened; for Alexander, when he saw the multitude at a distance, in white garments, while the priests stood clothed with fine linen, and the high priest in purple and scarlet clothing, with his mitre on his head, having the golden plate whereon the name of God was engraved, he approached by himself, and adored that name, and first saluted the high priest. The Jews also did all together, with one voice, salute Alexander, and encompass him about; whereupon the kings of Syria and the rest were surprised at what Alexander had done, and supposed him disordered in his mind. However, Parmenio alone went up to him, and asked him how it came to pass that, when all others adored him, he should adore the high priest of the Jews? To whom he replied, ‘I did not adore him, but that God who hath honored him with his high priesthood; for I saw this very person in a dream, in this very habit [attire], when I was at Dios in Macedonia, who, when I was considering with myself how I might obtain the dominion of Asia, exhorted me to make no delay, but boldly to pass over the sea thither, for that he would conduct my army, and would give me the dominion over the Persians; whence it is, that having seen no other in that habit, and now seeing this person in it, and remembering that vision, and the exhortation which I had in my dream, I believe that I bring this army under the divine conduct, and shall therewith conquer Darius, and destroy the power of the Persians, and that all things will succeed according to what is in my mind."txli

The story proceeds with Alexander going into Jerusalem and sacrificing to Yahweh according to the priest’s instruction. Josephus writes, “And when the book of Daniel was shewed him, wherein Daniel declared that one of the Greeks should destroy the empire of the Persians, he supposed that himself was the person intended; and as he was then glad, he dismissed the multitude for the present, but the next day he called them to him, and bade them ask what favours they pleased of him.” The high priest asked that they might operate in the laws of their forefathers and pay no tribute on the seventh year. All of this Alexander granted.xlii

God’s preservation of His people in the last days will be just as miraculous. We will see some of that in the latter chapters of this book. Let the story encourage you in your own life to trust the Lord no matter what challenges you may be facing. Seek the Lord as these Jews did. Let Him direct you through His word, through godly counsel, or perhaps supernaturally as in this story. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” God knows how to take care of us.xliii

For Endnote Info, go to message titled "Preparations for Messiah" by Richard Tow expounding Zechariah 9:1-8.