“And in His [Seleucus IV ‘s] Estate (Place) shall stand up A Vile Person [ Heliodorus, Who Assassinated Seleucus IV in 175 B.C.E.],

To Whom They [The /Roman Senate and the Nobles of The Seleucid Empire] will not give The Honour of The Kingdom [The Seleucid Empire].

But He [Mithradates, The Third Son of Antiochus III (175 B.C.E. – 164 B.C.E.) who styled himself Antiochus IV on his seizing of the crown,] shall come in peaceable (by prosperity):

And obtain (seize) The Kingdom {The Seleucid Empire} by Flatteries (Intrigue).”

Antiochus III (223 B.C.E. -187 B.C.E.) begat three sons:

• Antiochus , the Crown Prince and Joint King of Syria (210 B.C.E. – 193 B.C.E.) who died before his father. His marriage to his sister, Laodice IV saw the birth of a daughter, Nysa;
• Seleucus IV (187 B.C.E. – 175 B.C.E.) His marriage to his brother’s widow, Laodice IV, his sister, saw the birth of Antiochus, Demetrius I and Laodice V;
• Mithradates, who upon his seizing of the throne from his nephew, Demetrius, The Son of Seleucus IV, styled himself Antiochus IV (175 B.C.E. – 164 B.C.E.). His marriage to his sister, Laodice IV, his brother’s now twice-widowed sister saw the birth of Antiochus V, Laodice VI, Antiochus, and possibly Alexander Balas and Laodice.

N.B. All three of Antiochus III’s sons married the same woman, Laodice 1V, The Daughter of Antiochus III, and the sister of the three brothers. (This was the first sibling marriage in The Seleucid Dynasty.)

At The Treaty of Apamea in 188 B.C.E. between The Roman Senate and Antiochus III, Mithridates, Antiochus III ‘s third son, became a political hostage in Rome. After Mithradates’s older brother Seleucus IV, was assassinated by Heliodorus in 175 B.C.E. Mithradates was exchanged for his nephew, Demetrius, the son and heir of Seleucus IV.

After this Mithradates lived in Athens and was there when his brother, Seleucus IV, was assassinated by Heliodorus, the government minister (who featured in the post of two weeks ago).

For Heliodorus to assassinate his king after he had been so disciplined by THE GOD OF THE JEWS, confirms the truth of this epithet “A Vile Person” (Daniel 11:21a).

Heliodorus proclaimed himself regent afterward but this arrangement did not last long. With the help of King Emenes II of Pergamum, Mithradates travelled from Athens, through Asia Minor and reached Syria by November 175 B.C.E.

Seleucus IV’s legitimate heir, Demetrius, was still a hostage in Rome, so Antiochus seized the throne for Himself, proclaiming himself co-regent with another son of Seleucus IV, Antiochus, an infant. (This Son of Seleucus IV died in 170 B.C.E. possibly murdered by Mithradates, who by now had styled himself Antiochus IV.)

Antiochus IV took care to maintain positive relations with The Roman Republic, sending an embassy to Rome in 173 B.C.E. with a part of the unpaid indemnity still owed from The Treaty of Apamea of 188 B.C.E.

His marriage to the widow of Seleucus IV, Laodice IV, was anther means of legitimizing his seizing of the throne.

Seleucus IV had been a successful king in that he built up the treasury of the Empire and maintained peaceful relations with Rome, the now most important power in The Mediterranean Basin.

Antiochus IV in ‘obtaining the kingdom by flatteries (intrigue)’ (Daniel 11:21b) always maintained positive relations with Rome – where he had spent seven years as a hostage. (Royal hostages were treated with honour and respect by The Roman Senate in order to sustain peaceful relations with their now conquered enemies.)

The Prophecy given to the aged Daniel devotes Verses 21 to 32 to Antiochus IV. His positive relations with The Roman Senate are the antithesis of his relations with The Jewish People. Unlike his father, Antiochus III, who respected The Jews and honoured their worship of THE LORD GOD OF HEAVEN, Antiohcus IV committed such atrocities against The Jews that his name is anathema to The Holy People of GOD unto this day.

In contrast to the infamous Antiochus IV, JESUS, THE TRUE KING OF THE The JEWISH PEOPLE, was given his Crown of Thorns by The Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate and His Soldiers:

JESUS OF NAZARETH was the legitimate heir of The Jewish People as The First Gospel is at pains to stress:

As Co-Co, The Coconut-Throwing Chimpanzee Schoolmaster taught we young chimpanzees the history of Antiochus IV, he contrasted the flattering, scheming and cruel king with JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE LAWFUL KING OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE:

• WHO WAS TRUTH ITSELF
• WHO DIED FOR HIS PEOPLE – AND INDEED – FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD
• WHO DIED A CRUEL AND MALEVOLENT DEATH

Next Week: Daniel 11:22 Antiochus IV and The High Priesthood of The Jewish People