The Reformed Olive Press

Michael, Antiochus, and the Covenant: An Alternate View on Daniel 9:24-27 Daniel 9:24–27 is often read as a far-future messianic prophecy, but when viewed through a historical lens, the picture is strikingly concrete. The Anointed One and Prince is Michael, God’s guardian of the covenant, while the forces of desecration—both foreign and domestic—play out the trials of the faithful. In this reading: Michael = Anointed One and Prince, the divine covenantal agent He who brings desolation = Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the foreign oppressor The desolator = Hellenistic Jews who collaborated with Antiochus, profiting from the desecration of the temple Daniel 9:24 – Covenant Completion "Seventy weeks are decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy." The seventy weeks mark the full timeline for covenantal fulfillment. Mic...

Antiochus IV in History: Reading Daniel 11:29–45 and the Return to Covenant in Daniel 12. An Alternative View. The latter part of Daniel 11 is one of the clearest places where biblical prophecy and recorded history intersect. Rather than pointing to some distant “end times,” these verses describe, in symbolic form, the actual career of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid ruler who reigned from 175–164 BC. His wars, humiliations, and the desecration of Jerusalem are all captured in Daniel’s narrative. And as the story turns into Daniel 12, the vision loops back to the promise given earlier in Daniel 9:24—the completion of covenant, the refining of the people, and the arising of Michael as the Anointed Prince. Daniel 11:29–45 in Historical Context Verses 29–30: Antiochus makes another Egyptian campaign (169 BC), but this time Rome intervenes. Roman ships from Kittim (Cyprus) force him to retreat in humiliation. In his rage, Antiochus turns against Jerusalem, punishing the Jews and sidin...

W as the Israelite Temple System an Egyptian Invention? When we read about the Tabernacle in Exodus or the Temple in Jerusalem, it feels unique, set apart as God’s dwelling with His people. But a natural question arises: did Israel invent this temple system from scratch, or was it influenced by Egypt and other Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) cultures? The answer is layered. The Israelite temple was not a pure Egyptian invention, but it was undeniably shaped by Egypt and the wider ANE world. Temples Across the ANE In the ancient world, temples were the “houses” of the gods. Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Canaanites, and Hittites all built sacred spaces with common features: Outer courts for offerings and public rituals Inner sanctuaries for priestly work A most holy chamber for the divine presence The Israelite temple followed this shared regional pattern, which would have been familiar to anyone in that cultural setting. Egyptian Influence Egypt, where Israel lived for centuries, left a strong m...

W hen the Gods Hardened Hearts: An Ancient Near Eastern Motif and Its Biblical Twist One of the more puzzling biblical themes is God “hardening hearts,” most famously Pharaoh’s in the book of Exodus. To modern readers, this can sound unfair—why would God deliberately make someone stubborn only to punish them afterward? But when set against the backdrop of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) literature, the idea of gods hardening, darkening, or confusing human hearts was a common motif. The Bible is not unique in this imagery, though it reshapes it in a distinct covenantal way. Hard Hearts in Egypt In Egyptian wisdom literature, the “heart” was the seat of thought and will. Gods could guide or mislead it depending on destiny. The Instruction of Merikare states: “He whom the god guides cannot go wrong. But he whom he misleads cannot find the right way; he leads him to confusion.” Similarly, the Book of the Dead shows the heart as something that could betray its owner under divine influence. Phara...

Were Animal Sacrifices Part of the Original Mosaic Law? A Scholarly Perspective For many readers, the Torah presents the Mosaic law as a fixed set of 613 commandments, complete with detailed instructions for animal sacrifices. Burnt offerings, sin offerings, and peace offerings appear to be central to Israelite obedience. But modern scholarship suggests a more nuanced picture: animal sacrifices may not have been part of the original law given by Moses, but rather a later development. The Priestly Influence Scholars following the Documentary Hypothesis note that the Priestly source (P) in the Torah emphasizes sacrificial rituals, priestly regulations, and the tabernacle. This source likely reflects a later priestly ideology, perhaps post-exilic, designed to centralize worship and codify rituals. Earlier texts, such as Deuteronomy, stress obedience, justice, and covenant loyalty over elaborate sacrifices, hinting that the earliest law focused more on ethics than on ritual offerings. Arch...

  Did Moses Write the 613 Mitzvot? Understanding the Evolution of the Law When most people think of the Torah, they imagine Moses receiving and writing down a detailed set of 613 commandments. These commandments, known as mitzvot, cover everything from the Ten Commandments to intricate ritual, ethical, and priestly laws. But modern scholarship suggests that Moses likely did not personally write all 613 mitzvot. Instead, he probably delivered the Ten Commandments and core ethical principles, with the rest of the mitzvot developed and codified later. The Torah’s Composition The Torah is a composite text, traditionally divided by scholars into multiple sources: J (Yahwist), E (Elohist), P (Priestly), and D (Deuteronomist). Each source reflects a different historical and religious context. The Priestly source, for example, is responsible for detailed tabernacle, sacrificial, and purity laws, many of which were likely written centuries after Moses. Deuteronomy emphasizes ethics, justice...

When the Gods Hardened Hearts: An Ancient Near Eastern Motif and Its Biblical Twist One of the more puzzling biblical themes is God “hardening hearts,” most famously Pharaoh’s in the book of Exodus. To modern readers, this can sound unfair—why would God deliberately make someone stubborn only to punish them afterward? But when set against the backdrop of Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) literature, the idea of gods hardening, darkening, or confusing human hearts was a common motif. The Bible is not unique in this imagery, though it reshapes it in a distinct covenantal way. Hard Hearts in Egypt In Egyptian wisdom literature, the “heart” was the seat of thought and will. Gods could guide or mislead it depending on destiny. The Instruction of Merikare states: “He whom the god guides cannot go wrong. But he whom he misleads cannot find the right way; he leads him to confusion.” Similarly, the Book of the Dead shows the heart as something that could betray its owner under divine influence. Pharao...

Did the Pentateuch Get Tampered With? Understanding Textual Editing in the Old Testament When people first hear that the Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—was edited or compiled over time, it can sound like the text was “tampered with” in a negative sense. But modern scholarship and a careful reading of Scripture reveal a more nuanced picture. Multiple Sources, One Covenant Scholars widely agree that the Pentateuch is a composite work. It combines multiple sources, traditions, and authors over centuries, often labeled J, E, D, and P. These sources reflect different perspectives, historical contexts, and theological emphases. For example, the two creation accounts in Genesis 1 and 2 show stylistic and thematic differences, suggesting distinct traditions woven together by editors. Editing and Transmission Ancient scribes were not careless—they copied, clarified, and sometimes harmonized texts to preserve them. Manuscripts like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Septuagint, and the Sama...