CHRISTOLOGY PART 3 (THE MACCABEAN PERIOD (167-63 BC)

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CHRISTOLOGY PART 3 (THE MACCABEAN PERIOD (167-63 BC)

The evil excesses of Antiochus Epiphanies met with growing resistance among the Jews. Though many weaker ones bowed to his demands for a unified Greek religion. His very Brutality evoked the anger of other Jews. They heroically laid down their lives rather than to lay down their faith.

In the town of Modian a godly Jewish Priest named Mattathias killed the officers sent by Antiochus Epiphanies to force heathen worship upon him. He tore down the Profane alter, fled with his sons and their families to the mountains, and from there launched guerrilla type warfare against the Selouvide. Other Jews joined them and the revolt quickly gathered strength. Mattathias died shortly after he sparked off the revolt.

His oldest son Judas continued the struggle with such energy and purpose that he was nicknamed Meccabeans “the Hammer”. From caves and mountains hideout the Meccabean army fought with what ever weapons that was at hand; struck with quick slaughter, and then ran back into the cover of the mountains.

When Judas and his followers defeated several small detachments of the Syria army, Antiochus raised a large army under his most capable generals and sent them to fight against the Meccabeans armies; the Meccabeans defeated them and drove them from Jerusalem. Judas then reopened the temple at Jerusalem; he also purified, rededicated and restored its worship.

The madman, Antiochus died shortly after hearing the Syrian defeat, and the down of independence sent its first shining rays across the land of Israel.
Judas was killed in the battle and his brother Jonathan succeeded him as leader of the armies of Israel. A third brother Simon in turn succeeded Jonathan.

It was Simon who completed the Meccabean revolt. He threw off the last trace of the Syrian yoke, and won full and final independence for the Jews.

By the conquest Israel extended her border to Include Samaria, Galilee, and Edom. The kingdom was then almost as vast in territory as it had been in the days of Solomon. Then the Jews enjoyed a brief interlude of peace and tranquility. Simon proved to be a capable ruler of his people. Then in 114 BC the Jews combined the temporal and spiritual leadership of the nation by declaring Simon both King and high Priest to the Jews.

They also declared those offices to be hereditary to the Hasmoneans.
Hasmonean was the family name of the Meccabean. For nearly a hundred years the Hasmoneans ruled the land politically and spiritually.

After Simon came his son. John Hyrcanus, then in succession Aristobulus, queen Alexandra had two sons Hyseanus 11 and Arstobutus 11 and they had a violent dispute over who will take over the throne. As it is often the case, the descendant was unworthy of their position.

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The Hasmonean rule was largely a time of internal strife and corruption, marked by materialistic greed and spiritual decadence whoever sat on the throne was both king and high Priest and this led to an unending struggle for power from the members of the Hasmonean family.

A Nation that had been hard and glorious in the face of external conflict became soft and weak through internal decay.
The record of that time wrecks with plots, counter-plots, Murder, treachery, and in the end, civil war among those who should have led the Nation.

It was during this period that the Pharisees and Sadducees and rival set of the Jews, came into Prominence. Though their root reached much further back into Jewish history. It was sometime after the Meccabean revolt that they became identifiable, and organized groups.

THE PHARISEES. The forces that gave birth to the Pharisees had long been at work in Jewish life.

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Phariseeism was the outgrown of the Jews long conflict with heathenism and Hellenism. The highest expression of Jewish resistance to their religious encroachments.

The name Pharisee means “separatist”. It referred to the exclusiveness of Judaism and to the members devoted to it. The Pharisees did a great service to Israel when the movement was young; they preserved true Jewish faith; they introduced a missionary element to Judaism; they kept religion before the common man; they emphasized on the study of the law; they accepted the reality of the spiritual life.

In time, however, the Pharisees lost the spirit and compassion of true worship and relapsed it with a cold interpretation of the letters of the law. They eventually practiced extreme legalism, advocated external sanctity and ceremonial worship, and were bound by traditions of the past. By the time Jesus came to the earth, their coldness of spirit and self-righteous interpretation of the law made them his bitterest enemies.

THE SADDUCEES:

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On the other side of Jewish religious life were the Sadducees.

Taking their name from Zadok, the high Priest during Solomon’s reign, the Sadducees were the priestly sects of the Jews.
What the Pharisees were to the Spiritual life of Israel, the Sadducees were to the social and political life. They represented the aristocratic liberal minded, social consciences. Political active element of the Jews. The Sadducees would have socialized, even paganized the Jewish religion.

They started during the Hasmonean period and were prominent throughout the New Testament time. Their unspiritual religious views brought them into sharp conflict with Jesus.

THE ESSENCE:

They were a small closely-knit religious sect, which resembled a “secret-order” established on a communal pattern. They were very nationalistic, skeptic, and living very simple. They opposed the shading of blood even in offering of sacrifices. They practiced socialism with equality of members and common sharing of properties. In fact many efforts has been make to associate Jesus with one of these people, especially for the fact they attached little importance to material things.

THE ZELOTS:

These are the opposite of the Essence. They promoted a socialism that was to be instituted by force and violence on people (like the communist Government did) their cry always was no tribute to Caesar, no king but Jehovah and no tax but the Temple tax. They were fearful opponents of the Roman Government who refused to acknowledge their rule over Israel as a nation.

One of the Apostle of Jesus came from this sect for he was Zelot. Lk.6:15 Acts. 1:13, They can be known as erratic group of freedom fighters of the day.