Introduction:
The term "Epiphanes" is most commonly associated with Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Hellenistic Greek king of the Seleucid Empire who reigned from 175 BC until his death in 164 BC. His reign is particularly significant in biblical history due to his aggressive Hellenization policies and his persecution of the Jewish people, which are believed to have fulfilled certain prophetic visions in the Book of Daniel.

Historical Context:
Antiochus IV Epiphanes was the son of King Antiochus III the Great. He assumed the throne after the murder of his brother, Seleucus IV Philopator. His epithet "Epiphanes" means "God Manifest," reflecting his self-deification, which was a common practice among Hellenistic rulers. However, his contemporaries often referred to him as "Epimanes," meaning "the Mad One," due to his eccentric and often tyrannical behavior.

Biblical Significance:
Antiochus IV Epiphanes is a key figure in the intertestamental period, particularly in the context of the Jewish Maccabean Revolt. His actions are seen as a fulfillment of the prophecies found in the Book of Daniel, specifically in chapters 8 and 11. Daniel 8:9-12 describes a "little horn" that grows exceedingly great, which many conservative scholars interpret as a reference to Antiochus IV:

"Out of one of them came forth a rather small horn, which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the Beautiful Land. It grew as high as the host of heaven and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, where it trampled them. It magnified itself, even to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary. And in the rebellion, the host, along with the daily sacrifice, will be given over to the horn. And it will fling truth to the ground and will prosper in whatever it does." (Daniel 8:9-12)

Persecution of the Jews:
Antiochus IV's reign is marked by his severe persecution of the Jewish people. He sought to impose Greek culture and religion upon the Jewish population, leading to the desecration of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This event, known as the "abomination of desolation," is referenced in Daniel 11:31:

"His forces will rise up and desecrate the temple fortress. They will abolish the daily sacrifice and set up the abomination of desolation." (Daniel 11:31)

Antiochus's actions included the outlawing of Jewish religious practices, the burning of Torah scrolls, and the erection of an altar to Zeus in the Temple, where pigs were sacrificed. These acts of sacrilege sparked the Maccabean Revolt, a significant uprising led by the Jewish priest Mattathias and his sons, particularly Judas Maccabeus.

Legacy and Impact:
The Maccabean Revolt ultimately led to the rededication of the Temple, an event commemorated by the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Antiochus IV's persecution and the subsequent Jewish resistance are seen as pivotal moments in Jewish history, shaping the religious and cultural identity of the Jewish people.

In Christian eschatology, Antiochus IV Epiphanes is often viewed as a type or foreshadowing of the Antichrist, a future figure who will similarly oppose God and persecute His people. The events of his reign serve as a historical backdrop for understanding the apocalyptic visions in the Book of Daniel and the New Testament.

Conclusion:
While Antiochus IV Epiphanes is not directly mentioned in the New Testament, his actions and their prophetic implications continue to be a subject of study and reflection within Christian theology. His legacy is a testament to the enduring struggle between faithfulness to God and the pressures of worldly powers.ANTIOCHUS IV; ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES

(Epiphanes, e-pif'-a-naz, "Illustrious"): Son of Antiochus III who became king after his brother, Seleucus IV, had been murdered by Heliodorus. As a boy Antiochus lived at Rome as a hostage. The Pergamene monarchs, Eumenes and Attalus, succeeded in placing upon the throne the brother of Seleucus, although Heliodorus had wished to ascend the throne himself. The young king was even more enterprising than his father. He was called in to settle a quarrel between Onias III and his brother, Jason, the leader of the Hellenizing faction in Jerusalem, and Onias was driven out (2 Maccabees 4:4-6). Jason became high priest in his stead (2 Maccabees 4:9-16; 1 Maccabees 1:10-15; Ant, XII, v, 1). Antiochus himself afterward visited Jerusalem and was signally honored (2 Maccabees 4:22). On the death of Ptolemy VI in 173, Antiochus laid claim to Coelesyria, Palestine and Phoenicia; whereupon war broke out between Syria and Egypt. In this war Antiochus was victorious. Ptolemy Philometor was taken prisoner, and Antiochus had himself crowned king of Egypt (171-167 B.C.) at Memphis; whereupon Alexandria revolted and chose Ptolemy's brother as their king. The Roman ambassador, Popilius Laenas, demanded the surrender of Egypt and the immediate withdrawal of its self-constituted king. Antiochus yielded; gave up Pelusium and withdrew his fleet from Cyprus, but retained Coelesyria, Palestine and Phoenicia.

While Antiochus was on a second campaign in Egypt, he heard of the siege of Jerusalem. He returned immediately, slew many thousands of the inhabitants and robbed the temple of its treasures (1 Maccabees 1:20-24; 2 Maccabees 5:11-21). By his prohibition of the Jewish worship and his introduction or substitution of the worship of the Olympian Zeus (1 Maccabees 1:54; 2 Maccabees 6:2; Ant, XII, v, 4) he brought about the insurrection of the Jews, under the Maccabees, upon whom he made an unsuccessful war in 167-164 B.C. After this war Antiochus retired to the eastern provinces and died, after having failed in an attack on the temple of the Sun in Elymais, in Persia. See also ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION; ANTIOCHIANS.

J. E. Harry

EPIPHANES

e-pif'-a-nez.

See ANTIOCHUS IV.

2016. epiphanes -- notable
... 2015, 2016. epiphanes. 2017 . ... see GREEK epiphaino. (epiphane) -- 1 Occurrence.
2015, 2016. epiphanes. 2017 . Strong's Numbers.
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2016.htm - 6k

2015. epiphaneia -- appearance
... Word Origin from epiphanes Definition appearance NASB Word Usage appearance
(1), appearing (5). appearance, brightness. ... see GREEK epiphanes. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2015.htm - 7k

Secundus' System of ??ons; Epiphanes; Ptolem??us.
... Book VI. Chapter XXXIII."Secundus' System of ??ons; Epiphanes; Ptolem??us. ... [726]
Concerning Secundus and Epiphanes, see Iren??us, i. 11; Theodoret, H??r. ...
/.../the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxxiii secundus system of aeons.htm

How the City Jerusalem was Taken, and the Temple Pillaged [By ...
... CHAPTER 1. How The City Jerusalem Was Taken, And The Temple Pillaged [By
Antiochus Epiphanes]. As Also Concerning The Actions Of ...
/.../chapter 1 how the city.htm

How the Jews were Crucified Before the Walls of the City ...
... How The Jews Were Crucified Before The Walls Of The City Concerning Antiochus Epiphanes;
And How The Jews Overthrew The Banks That Had Been Raised By The Romans ...
/.../chapter 11 how the jews.htm

Concerning the Calamity that Befell Antiochus, King of Commagene. ...
... was the real motive was never thoroughly discovered,] sent an epistle to Caesar,
and therein told him that Antiochus, with his son Epiphanes, had resolved to ...
/.../chapter 7 concerning the calamity.htm

Carpocratis Et Epiphanis Sententiam De Feminarum Communitate ...
... Hic autem Epiphanes, cujus etiam scripta feruntur, filius erat Carpocratis, et matris
Alexandri?? nomine, ex patre quidera Alexandrinus, ex matre vero ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/caput ii carpocratis et epiphanis sententiam.htm

Introduction
... The first school of interpreters referred to above, have lighted upon Antiochus
Epiphanes as the one who fulfills the prophecies respecting the Antichrist. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the antichrist/introduction.htm

Elucidations.
... Our author then proceeds to a castigation of Carpocrates, and his son Epiphanes,
an Alexandrian on his father's side, who, though he lived but seventeen years ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/clement/the stromata or miscellanies/elucidations 3.htm

The Syrian Persecution.
... Sidon, and won great victories, ravaging and consuming the adjoining lands with
his armies; and afterwards made peace with young Ptolemy Epiphanes, giving him ...
/.../yonge/the chosen people/lesson xvii the syrian persecution.htm

Daniel
... which corresponds, point for point, with the history of the third and second centuries
BC, and in particular with the career of Antiochus Epiphanes (xi.21-45). ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/daniel.htm

The History of the Prophetic Sermons, Epistles, and Apocalypses
... the book of Daniel in the light of the great crisis that came to the Jews as a result
of the relentless persecutions of Antiochus Epiphanes, between the years ...
/.../the origin and permanent value of the old testament/vii the history of the.htm

Epiphanes
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia ANTIOCHUS IV; ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. (Epiphanes...
ANTIOCHIANS. JE Harry. EPIPHANES. e-pif'-a-nez. See ANTIOCHUS IV. ...
/e/epiphanes.htm - 8k

Nicanor (1 Occurrence)
... ni'-ka-nor (Nikanor): The son of Patroclus and one of the king's "chief friends"
(2 Maccabees 8:9), a Syrian general under Antiochus Epiphanes and Demetrius ...
/n/nicanor.htm - 14k

Desolation (131 Occurrences)
... This was the situation when Antiochus Epiphanes set out to suppress the last
vestige of the Jewish cult by the application of brute force. ...
/d/desolation.htm - 46k

Naomi (25 Occurrences)
... In 2 Maccabees 1:13;, a fictitious account is given of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes,
in a temple of Nanaea in Persia, by the treachery of Nanaea's priests. ...
/n/naomi.htm - 17k

Nanaea
... In 2 Maccabees 1:13;, a fictitious account is given of the death of Antiochus Epiphanes,
in a temple of Nanaea in Persia, by the treachery of Nanaea's priests. ...
/n/nanaea.htm - 8k

Maccabaeus
... Makkabaioi): I. PALESTINE UNDER KINGS OF SYRIA 1. Rivalry of Syria and Egypt 2.
Palestine Seized by Antiochus the Great 3. Accession of Antiochus Epiphanes II. ...
/m/maccabaeus.htm - 17k

Antiochus
... (2.) Antiochus IV., surnamed "Epiphanes" ie, the Illustrious, succeeded his brother
Seleucus (BC 175). ... JE Harry. ANTIOCHUS IV; ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES. ...
/a/antiochus.htm - 17k

Ptolemy
... of Philopator. He was most probably the oppressor of 3 Macc. (5) Ptolemy
V, surnamed Epiphanes (Epiphanes, "Illustrious"). He was ...
/p/ptolemy.htm - 17k

Apollonius
... But on the accession of Antiochus Epiphanes, Apollonius, in some way becoming
obnoxious to the new king, left Syria and retired to Miletus. ...
/a/apollonius.htm - 8k

Abomination (78 Occurrences)
... prophecies which is generally interpreted as referring to the fearful calamities
that were to fall on the Jews in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, says, "And ...
/a/abomination.htm - 55k

Who was Antiochus Epiphanes? | GotQuestions.org

Who is the king of the North in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.org

Who is the king of the South in Daniel 11? | GotQuestions.org

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