The Third Kingdom of Bible Prophecy: The Deleterious Effects of Hellenism on the Second Jewish Commonwealth
Mark Mountjoy
Introduction
Alexander the Great and the ancient Greeks stand at the epicenter of cataclysmic events in Bible prophecy. This intrepid conqueror and his people represent the third kingdom of Bible prophecy (Dan. 2:39 cf. 7:6). In Jewish history, they exerted an insideous, mostly negative, but also had some positive influences on the Second Jewish Commonwealth. While two prior foreign takeovers (Babylon and the Medeo-Persians) had already occurred, the arrival of Alexander the Great foreshadowed the steepest challenges and the greatest changes to Jewish identity due to the audacious beauty, seductiveness, and ubiquity of Hellenistic culture in religion, art, and theater, political theory and organizational models, and in the gymnasium and sports. Hellenism's sparkling attractions wowed the Jews and in little time the nation's love for God and obligations under the Law fell by the wayside.
Hellenism's reach threatened to overturn everything good, just, and precious in the Jewish world, far surpassing the challenges faced during the Babylonian Captivity or the occasional Persian crises. The Second Jewish Commonwealth, established by Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, and Zerubbabel and watched over by the Persians, had existed for two hundred and sixteen years before Alexander. However, it was with Providence's rhyme or wisdom that cataclysmic changes were brought to the Levant, the Holy Land, and beyond.
Background and Backstory
First, the ongoing Israelite and Jewish transgressions against the Law of Moses, happened as a result of violations against the Ten Commandments as a practice in Israelite and Jewish society. Examples. examples, examples...hypocrisy, murder, adultury, and mistreatment of the poor. . .
Having other gods beside Yahweh was another breach of the Law of Moses and polytheism flourish both in Jerusalem and across the country. Not only were high places and idolatry a common problem, but also infractions against and intrusions into the sanctity of the Levitical Priesthood defiled the sacrificial system amid the infiltration, degradation, and sacriledge of the First Temple. Along with a thriving false prophecy industry speaking lies in the name of the Lord, estrangement from God led his threats of eventual war, loss, and captivity. In spite of being warned for nearly two centuries, the Northern Kingdom of Israel refused to mend its ways and fell in 724 B.C., succumbing to the territorial ambitions of the Assyrians. They were forcibly carried away beyond the Euphrates River, growing into an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers, according to Ezra.1[Antiquities 11.5.2:133]
The Beginning, Order, and Direction of Bible Prophecy
The Neo-Babylonian captivity of the kingdom of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar II marked the beginning, order, and direction of events in the Bible prophecy calendar. This first kingdom (the Neo-Babylonian Empire of Nebuchadnezzar II) was succeeded by the dual kingdom of the Medes and Persians in 539 B.C., and was followed by the triumphant conquests of Alexander the Great two hundred years later in 323 B.C.
The territorial extent of this third kingdom surpassed two million square miles and its language Koine Greek was far more precise than Hebrew or Aramaic. It rule, authority, and power were assigned not only to Alexander the Great but also to his successors—Seleucus I Nicator, who founded the Seleucid Empire, Ptolemy I Lagus, who founded the Ptolemaic Empire, Cassander, who ruled Macedon, and Lysimachus.
When Alexander unexpectedly died in Babylon in 323 B.C., chaos ensued for five years as his successors fought bitterly over his vast territories. In 318 B.C., Ptolemy Lagus I took control of Egypt and annexed a large section of the Mediterranean Sea, including Judea. Egypt controlled the Holy Land for eleven years before the Seleucid Syrians gained dominance.
C. Forsaking Their Nation’s Appointed Covenant Estate
The glitter of Hellenist culture . . .unlike Jewish culture which was centered around worship, reading, traditions, singing, and agricultural persuits, Greek culture was centured around
1 and 2
3 and 4
5 and 6
6 and 7
If a Jewish person could do x, x, and z, a Greek person coult do A and B, and C. No longer restricted by the demands of the Law of Moses; no longer constrained by love and responsibility to the one God, Yahweh, Hellenists were free to explore endless vista of conceptual carnal possibilities—possibilities that drowned out what was vouchsafed to the nation, what was the assurance and guarantor of the future of the Hebrew people, according to the prophecies and the promises of God.
Some individuals, particularly the Tobiad Philhellene partisans, sought to forsake the Laws of Moses and eliminate traces of Judaism during the Hellenistic period. They strategized to build a gymnasium in the holiest city, desecrating the Temple and turning it into a hub of Greek culture.
Under Seleucid control, the Hellenistic world's influence began to marinate and threaten the Jewish inhabitants, leading to widespread apostasy. The gymnasium, male nude wrestling, and the popularity of the Greek 'petasos' symbolized the abandonment of Jewish spiritual identity.
D. All-or-Nothing: The Philhellene’s Zero-Sum Game
The Tobiads and their Greek confederates aimed for complete integration of Judea into Hellenism, even encroaching on the inner parts of the Jewish Temple. King Antiochus IV Epiphanes, eager to Hellenize the Holy Land, resorted to violence, pillaging the Second Temple for its vast reserves of wealth.
Not all Judeans agreed with the abandonment of the Law of Moses and the adoption of Greek ways. A struggle emerged among the people, contemplating how to resist the irresistible tide of Hellenistic influence.
E. What Did the Greeks Add to Jewish Civilization?
Despite the challenges, the Greeks brought some positive elements to Jewish civilization during the Hellenistic period. The clarity of the Greek language, especially Koine Greek, enriched the Septuagint and the New Testament. The contrast between Greek corruption in Jewish society and the faithful Jews led to an age of martyrs, strengthening the resolve to adhere to the covenant.
F. The Abomination of Desolation Heralds the Impending End of the Greek Era
As the temperature rose in 168 B.C., popular support for installing a statue of Zeus in the Second Temple intensified. The installation of the statue was not solely dependent on Antiochus Epiphanes' wishes; the people desired to reflect Greek religious polytheism in the Temple. Mattathias Hasmoneaus's courageous act marked the beginning of a do-or-die civil war, signaling the end of Greek jurisdiction over Judea.
G. The Upshot of the Hellenistic Period
Infidelity to God and neglect of divine principles led to social turmoil and catastrophic violence in Judea during the final years of the Greek era. Valuable lessons from this national experience became the subject of future reflections.
In conclusion, the Hellenistic period brought challenges and upheavals to the Second Jewish Commonwealth, testing the faith and resilience of the Jewish people. The clash between Greek culture and Jewish spirituality shaped the course of history, setting the stage for the rise and fall of the Hasmonean State, the Herodian Dynasty, and the advent of Christianity amidst the tumultuous Zealot wars.