Readings:
2 Maccabees 14-15
Revelation 13

2 Maccabees 14-15

This chapter starts with Demetrius landing up around what’s now modern day Lebanon and the former high priest comes up and starts getting in his ear about Judas Maccabee and convinces him to send an army again to Jerusalem. Then anyone who had a problem with the new regime in Jerusalem joined up with Nicanor to fight Judas for various personal reasons.

Nicanor and Judas make a peace between them, but the king isn’t satisfied and orders Nicanor to break this treaty and deliver Judas in chains. But Judas catches on to what’s happening and goes into hiding, so Nicanor demands that the priests and Levites turn him over or else he promises to destroy the temple and build one to Dionysus in its place. This hubristic threat is what begins the downfall of Nicanor.

He can’t get Judas so he figures he’ll arrest and execute another leading Jew of the city, but this man tries to kill himself several times before being successful. The writer notes that he was brave, but doesn’t comment one way or the other if this was a righteous act.

I note that because this is one point that some who reject the deuterocanonical books make; that it glorifies suicide. I’d argue that it’s just recounting what happened, and commenting on someone’s bravery doesn’t mean you 100% condone their actions. I look at the way Japanese officers committed ritualistic suicide rather than be captured at the close of World War II and can remark on how I appreciate their dedication to the concept of honor, but it doesn’t mean I think it was a moral decision.

This man decided he’d rather die quickly than be painfully executed like the woman and her seven sons, I can’t say I blame him. I don’t know if that would be the right move, and I kind of lean towards it not being so, but I understand his motives. And I don’t at all agree that the way the writer portrays these events means this book in not inspired scripture. (See Question: Extra Books in the Bible)

Maccabeus, perceiving the hosts that were before him and the varied supply of arms and the savagery of the elephants, stretched out his hands toward heaven and called upon the Lord who works wonders; for he knew that it is not by arms, but as the Lord decides, that he gains the victory for those who deserve it.

2 Maccabees 15:21

As we read in 1 Maccabees, Nicanor is defeated and the temple is spared his threat of destruction. Where 1 Maccabees was more concerned with the historic details, this book has been focused on the reasons why these things happened. And this final chapter of the Old Testament leaves us on such a high note that when we get to the very next chapter (which would be Matthew 1) it’s hard to understand how the Jews are once again under the yoke of a foreign power.

But all in the providence of God is why the Romans took control of the area, because the entire Mediterranean being under the rule of a single nation made the spread of the gospel so much easier. It was like the difference between Paul driving down a paved highway or going down a back country trail. Just as Nebuchadnezzar played a role, and the Persian kings played their role, all despite none of them being part of the covenant, so too the Roman Empire played its role in salvation history.

Revelation 13

Chapter 13 introduces two beasts that are agents of the dragon, who is satan. The first is the beast from the sea, and this beast is a representation of the Roman Empire. Coming from the sea often represented foreign powers, and many of its characteristics point to Rome.

It’s also a mirror image of the Lamb in many ways. It’s worshiped by the wicked, it shares a throne with the dragon, it is seemingly slain and comes back to life, it’s number represents its name and is stamped on its followers, it has authority of every nation. These are just a few of the opposite characteristics of the beast compared to the Lamb. The description of the beast echoes the beasts of Daniel that represented gentile nations that oppressed Israel, and now this beast contains features from all of them.

The seven heads stand for the first seven emperors with the one that’s wounded being Nero. He was the last of the Julio-Claudian dynasty and his suicide threw the empire into disarray and began the Year of the Four Emperors. Once the dust settled after three previous claimants, Vespasian was wearing the purple and a new dynasty was in power, the mortal wound had healed.

The time of great persecution is likely a reference to the brutal Roman tactics when putting down the First Jewish Revolt and laying siege to Jerusalem. The Romans were brutal and effective.

The war on the saints is likely the persecutions of Nero and/or the persecutions of Domition, who was the son of Vespasian. Contrary to what many people think, the Roman Empire was persecuting Christians at all times. Waves of persecution would build and the crash with lots of bloodshed, but then it was calm down and be somewhat safe and peaceful for a little while.

Now for the second beast, this one is also called the false prophet in later chapters, it comes from the land instead of the sea, possibly signaling a local origin as opposed to the foreign beast from the sea. If you believe that Revelation was written in the 60s then this beast I’d likely representational of the Jewish religious authorities that rejected the Christ, conspired with Rome (the other beast) to have him killed, persecuted his followers, and even declared allegiance to the beast when they told Pilate that the “had no king but Caesar.”

Alternatively, some who hold to a dating in the 90s could see this beast as the false religion of emperor worship and the promotion of the state as a god. I personally believe this book was written in the 60s, and see it identified with Jerusalem, but also think the elements of the other opinion associating it with the cult of emperor worship to be there too.

Just as the angel marked the faithful in Ezekiel and earlier in Revelation, this false prophet compels the followers of the beast to near its mark. This famous mark of the beast has been written about and debated for centuries. Despite what dispensationalists tell you when trying to get you to buy their latest end times book, the evidence doesn’t show this to be a tattoo or microchip, or any other modern technology. It’s likely a symbolic mark, just like the other marks for the righteous, and the number 666 is a cryptogram of the name Nero Caesar. This is what early Christians believed, and has been the majority opinion until the 20th century. ( see Jimmy akin’s podcast on the mark of the beast for a great exploration of this topic)

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Revelation 14-15