Antiochus Iv Epiphanes: The Antichrist Of The Old Testament

(7) Both will be Satan incarnate. Concerning the Syrian king Antiochus, Daniel 8:23 states that “in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up.” J. Vernon McGee believed that “the only adequate explanation of this verse and of the facts of history is that this man was demon possessed.”6

W.A. Criswell, speaking of the demon-possessed Antiochus and his foreshadowing of the Antichrist, explains:

First, he is inordinately proud, lifted up, and ambitious. He is Satan through copy. He is Satan through incarnation. He is Satan’s willing instrument. For example, when Antiochus came to reign, he imprinted on his coins, Theos Antiochus, Theos Epiphanes, “Antiochus, God manifest.” One need not doubt that such a thing could be, for according to the second chapter of II Thessalonians, this final dictator presents himself as “God manifest,” Theos Epiphanes. That same spirit is universal in human story. Ambitious, dictatorial men are like that. That is the spirit of Hitler. It is the spirit of any striving dictator who lifts himself above the mountain heap of prostrate humanity.7

Seeing that Christ was the “Seed of the woman”, therefore Antichrist will be the “seed of the serpent” (Gen. 3:15).8 Arthur Pink goes on to explain that “the Antichrist, then, will be more than a man, he will be the actual and literal Seed of that Old Serpent, the Devil; as Christ was, according to the flesh, the actual and literal Seed of the woman.”9 Consequently, as Christ was God incarnate, Antichrist will be Satan incarnate. John Phillips notes that “in his human form he is the beast ‘out of the sea,’ a brilliant and dynamic world leader with charisma and vision, demon-possessed as Hitler was. He will be killed, will have a ‘second coming,’ and from then on will be the beast ‘out of the bottomless pit.’ As such he will be superhuman, awesome, and in a position to command and receive the worship of mankind (13:4).”10

(8) Both shall be broken without hand (Dan. 8:25). This can be interpreted that his power will be broken apart from the intervention of man, or as A.R. Fausset notes, “by God’s special visitation.”11 He was afflicted by a horrible death “by worms and ulcers, when on his way to Judea, intending to take vengeance for the defeat of his armies by the Maccabees.”12 The smiting Stone shall suddenly strike the feet of the image and ultimately destroy the Gentile nations and its last Roman ruler bringing to an end the counterfeit kingdom of the Antichrist. Christ will then cast the beast and false prophet alive into the lake of fire (Rev. 19:11-21). Thus, both the Syrian king Antiochus and the final Antichrist shall “stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand” (Dan. 8:25).

(9) Both periods conclude with deliverance. Antiochus sent Appolonius who halted the sacrifices in June 167 B.C. and in December 25 of the same year set up the heathen altar and the heathen sacrifices began. On December 25, 164 B.C., Judas Maccabeus restored the sanctuary and sacrificial system. According to William E. Biederwolf, “these three and one-half years had their typical fulfillment in Antiochus Epiphanes, but it is generally conceded that its final realization is reserved for the last times, according to the New Testament writings, in the eschatological Antichrist.”13