Who Can Separate Us?

Daniel 11:29-32 “At the appointed time he will invade the South again, but this time the outcome will be different from what it was before. 30 Ships of the western coastlands will oppose him, and he will lose heart. Then he will turn back and vent his fury against the holy covenant. He will return and show favor to those who forsake the holy covenant. 31 His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation. 32 With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.”
 
FOR a second time, about two years after his stalemate in Egypt described in our previous lesson, Antiochus IV again set his sights on the South. But Egypt’s alliance with Rome stopped him. The angry contemptible man again turned his wrath to Jerusalem.
    Of course, he favored any Jews who came to his side. This is a repeat of the vision from Daniel 8:13-14. Antiochus’ purpose was to exterminate Judaism and transform Israel into a Grecian society. He would not allow the Jews to follow their religious practices (including their festivals and circumcision). The Law scrolls were burned. Then he set up the abomination that causes desolation – an altar in the temple to Zeus, the most powerful god in Greek mythology. He did so because he saw himself as the incarnation of Zeus. The Jews were also forced to sacrifice a pig on the 25th of each month – Antiochus’ birthday. The first was December 25, 167 BC.
    We see a wondrous truth: God turns evil into his good. He displays his love through his very own Son to overcome such hate.
    That’s why we can find hope amid the many evil, contemptible minds in our world today. The daily news overwhelms us with abominations in our culture that attempt to desolate our faith in Christ. The anti-God culture strives to turn our minds to the abomination and desolation of Satanic thought.
    We know what is true. We must live it, speak it and defend it. There is no compromise. Work through the evil and see God’s goodness.
 
Romans 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.