It may be well to describe in few words the history of the Jews during the four hundred years that elapsed between the writing of the Book of Malachi, the last of the Old Testament writings, and the birth of our Lord as given in the gospels according to Matthew and Luke. The story is told by Josephus. This period is chiefly remarkable for the rising up and exploits of Mattathias, a great-grandson of the celebrated Asamoneus, and his five sons, commonly called the Maccabees. The uprising of this wonderful family was occasioned by the daring sacrilege of Antiochus Epiphanes, who gained possession of Jerusalem by guile, and then proceeded to rob the Temple of its golden candlesticks, golden altar of incense, table of show-bread, and altar of burnt-offering. He forbad the Jews to offer their daily sacrifices. Added to this, he built an idol altar upon God's altar, and offered swine—the abomination of the Jews -upon it He commanded that Jewish sons should no longer be circumcised, and ordered that temples should be built in every city and village, and swine offered on their altars in idol worship. All this was prophesied, as to take place, by Daniel, the prophet, centuries before. (Chapter 8:9-14).
When Mattathias was commanded to offer sacrifice in this sacrilegious manner, he refused; and, daringly overthrowing the idol altar, called upon all, who were zealous for the worship of the true God, to support him. He fled to the desert with his sons, and all, who sympathized with him. After a year of heroic resistance the brave old man died, leaving his son Simon as their counselor, and Judas, his third son, as their general, who was called Maccabeus, meaning the Hammerer.
After many conflicts and brilliant feats of arms, sometimes victories, sometimes defeats, at last Judas recovered Jerusalem, and after three-and-a-half years of profanation had the sanctuary cleansed, as Daniel had prophesied four hundred and eight years previously. "The feast of the dedication " (John 10:2222And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. (John 10:22)) refers to the annual celebration of this event. After a long struggle Judas died in battle, indeed father and five sons all laid down their lives in this great struggle.
It has been thought by some that the vivid description of the horrors of persecution, as described in Hebrews II: 33-38, had the times of the Maccabees in mind, for theirs was a desperate warfare, marked by wanderings "in deserts, in mountains, in dens and caves of the earth."
Finally the Jews of that day settled under the rule of the Roman power, though there were many minor outbreaks from time to time, and it was in this nation and in these circumstances that our Lord was born at Bethlehem.
The sacrilegious actions of Antiochus Epiphanes are vividly typical of what the Head of the revived Roman Empire will do, as prophesied by Scripture, in a day rapidly approaching, when he will cause the sacrifices in the Temple, yet to be built, to cease (Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)); and set up " the abomination of desolation," spoken of by our Lord, as standing in the holy place. (Matt. 24:1515When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) (Matthew 24:15)).