Satan has had an influence on history ever since the dawn of time. Yet, I thought it would be interesting to see some of the ways we can see his influence on the Jewish nation and the rise of the church in the New Testament. We will focus on four main points:
1. How Satan caused a reversal of Israel’s birthright.
2. How the Jews knew Scripture but still missed their Messiah.
3. How Satan weakened the church from its very start.
4. How we can avoid the same pitfalls
Of course, we can’t address all of these points in one post, so I hope you join me for a series of posts in which we’ll discuss these topics as we look at how the New Testament unfolds historically.
We will first look at how Satan attempted to reverse the Jewish birthright. The reversal of Israel’s birthright eventually led to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Jewish temple through decisions made long before Rome was at play in their nation. Recall that Isaac and Rebecca had twin sons: Esau, the firstborn, and Jacob (Gn 25:24-26). Esau sold his birthright to Jacob for a bowl of porridge (Gn 25:29-34). An animosity grew between Israel, the name God changed Jacob’s name to (Gn 32:28), and Edom, the name for the descendants of Esau (Gn 36:1). Edom would not allow the Israelites to pass through their land as they traveled from Egypt to the land of Canaan (Nu 20:18) so the Israelites had to travel around the land of Moab and then cross the Jordan River near Jericho (Nu 33:48-54). Eventually the descendants of Jacob, now called Israelites, entered Canaan, the Promised Land God gave them, and allotted divisions of the land to each of the twelve tribes to form the nation of Israel.
Once Israel became established as a nation within Canaan, the Edomites would periodically attack. King David subjugated them and put garrisons throughout Edom to keep them submissive (2Sa 8:14). They broke free from Israeli domination during the reign of king Jehoram, some 160 years later (2Ki 8:20-22). They also assisted the Babylonians in attacking the people of Judah (Ob 1:11). Over time, the Nabateans pushed them westward into the Negev and became known as Idumea (the Greek name for Edom) by the first century. Up until this time, while there was still animosity between Edom and Israel, Edom never had the upper hand, so to speak, against Israel.
Yet, Satan was about to set the stage for a birthright coup. To understand how this happened, we first need to understand something about the Hasmonean Dynasty and the Herod Dynasty.
During the Intertestamental Period, Alexander the Great conquered the known world and upon his death, his kingdom was divided into four parts. Two of those parts affected Israel. That would be the Seleucid Empire which later became what we know as Persia, and then Parthia, a nation that co-existed, and was just as strong, as the Roman Empire. The second nation that affected Israel was the Ptolemaic Kingdom with Egypt being its largest part. Both empires vied for the land of Israel with the Seleucid Empire winning that fight.
The defilement of the temple in Jerusalem by the Seleucid ruler, Antiochus Epiphanes, led to the 33-year Maccabean Revolt where the temple was rededicated and the oil for the menorah lasting until new oil could be made and was therefore called the Feast of Dedication which later became known and celebrated as Hanukkah.
The revolt led to the sons of Mattathias Maccabeus being made not only high priests but also military rulers. Over time, they took back more and more land from the Seleucids to form their own territory. They were called Hasmoneans because Mattathias’ great grandfather was named Hasmoneus and created what was known as the Hasmonean Dynasty which lasted for 127 years.
In the beginning, though, they did recognize that they were Levites and kings could only come from Judah. Isaac prophesied about Judah before his death: “The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet” (Gn 49:10). Also, Psalm 78:68 states that God chose Judah after the destruction of the tabernacle at Shiloh.
This became Deceptive Error #1: for they felt it was okay to have the high priest a military ruler so long as he didn’t rule as a king. But that seems to be more of a semantic difference. It is difficult for a military leader to also be a spiritual leader for his people. Each role takes 100% of a person’s time. One or the other will suffer. Typically, it is the spiritual aspects that suffer from such an arrangement.
Mattathias’ grandson, John Hyrcanus gained back Samaritan and Idumean (Edom) territory. To “unite” them as part of the Hasmonean territory, he forced them to be circumcised and become Jewish proselytes. However, this was against what God had established: “Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt” (Ex 23:9)
When King David subjugated Edom during his reign, he never forced them to become Jewish. Becoming a Jewish proselyte was to be voluntary. This became Deceptive Error #2: John Hyrcanus used circumcision as a means of subjugation, but Satan turned it into a means of infiltration. Hyrcanus proved to be a good diplomat and was able to get Rome, the rising empire at the time, to agree to Hasmonean independence and even brokered peace with the Ptolemaic Empire.
When Aristobulus I became high priest after the death of his father Hyrcanus, he went a step further and declared himself king. This shows that once power is given, more power is craved. This violated God’s promise to King David that only those from his lineage would be king (2Sa 7:16; Ps 89:4). The Hasmonean Dynasty became a self-declared monarchy, not one necessarily God ordained. This became Deceptive Error #3: Aristobulus I likely felt becoming king would add more influence and allow him to accomplish more for his people, and for himself, of course. Yet, having political and spiritual leadership through the same person has consequences because it is unlikely one will self-correct if not seeking God’s will and leadership. Plus, there is little time to oversee the spiritual needs of the country’s citizens, which is so vitally important.
Aristobulus I died after reigning for only a year. His nephews, Aristobulus II and Hyrcanus II vied for the throne and they both invited Rome into their civil war. This became Deceptive Error #4: Both believed using Rome’s power and influence would achieve their goals. Rome agreed to help but then never left. Antipater, the leader of the Idumeans sees his chance and sides with Hyrcanus II, causing Aristobulus II to be put into Roman prison, and gains the favor of the Romans. Rome makes Hyrcanus II high priest but puts Antipater in political power who later gives his power to his son Herod. Both Aristobulus II and his son Jonathan Alexander are assassinated by Romans as they return from Rome to Judea after Aristobulus II’s release from prison.
Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus II, revenges his father’s death and defeats Herod the Great by going to the Parthians who invade and make Herod flee to Rome. There, after three years, Herod gets Rome to name him King of the Jews and returns with Marc Antony who forces the Parthians back across the Euphrates River. Herod has Antigonus killed.
Herod then marries Mariamne I, a Hasmonean princess to give his reign more legitimacy in the eyes of the people as she had Jewish heritage on both sides of her family. Only his descendants through Mariamne had a legitimate right to the throne without Roman support. Herod knew this and became paranoid that his rule would be taken from him. Over a short period of time, Herod takes out all Hasmonean princes and princesses so they could not usurp his throne. He even kills some of his own children and some of his wives, even Mariamne, his favorite, because he feels they are plotting against him. Some of these claims were true. Others were out of paranoia. He often mourned killing Mariamne and had her body preserved in honey for 7 years so he could see her.
Herod the Great ruled from 47 BC to 1 BC. Many sources will say he died in 4 BC, but it has been discovered that there was a printing error which occurred in 1544 when reprinting some of Josephus’ writings (Larson, Steinmann). He ruled from Idumea in the south to territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee (which would be Syria and parts of Lebanon today) with his headquarters in Jerusalem. He ruled at the birth of Christ and was the one who had all those in Bethlehem 2 years of age and younger killed (Mt 2:16).
We need to understand something about the different Herods we encounter in the New Testament. The term Herod is used to describe a dynasty of individuals starting with Herod the Great, so the term Herod was used for many different individuals mentioned in Scripture. There are seven mentioned in the New Testament. So, Herod #1 would be Herod the Great.
Although Herod the Great had many of his children killed, he seemed to have had an affinity for his grandchildren. Herod had his granddaughter, Herodias, marry his son Herod II, also known as Herod Philip, her uncle (Mk 6:17), which made him heir apparent because Herodias was of Hasmonean descent. This angered Antipater II, Herod the Great’s eldest son, who persuaded his father to demote Herod Philip to second heir apparent. Once accomplished, he then plotted to poison his father, so Herod the Great had Antipater II executed. This made Herod Philip heir apparent again since he was now the eldest living son, but when Herod found out Philip’s mother had plotted with Antipater, he had Herod Philip demoted again just before his death making Archelaus, his next oldest son, the heir to his throne. Herod Philip then moved to Rome to live, likely to get out of the chaos and the fear of losing his life. Later, we know that Herodias divorces Philip and marries her other uncle, Antipas.
Upon Herod the Great’s death, his other sons went to Rome to argue their claim to their father’s kingdom with Caesar Augustus who divided Herod the Great’s territory into three parts under the rulership of his three sons: Archelaus, Philip, and Antipas. Later, Herod’s grandson (Herod Agrippa I) and great grandson (Herod Agrippa II) also had rulership.
Herod #2: Herod Philip never ruled as did his brothers. He moved to Rome to live. He was the first husband of Herodias (Mk 6:17), Herod the Great’s granddaughter. She had an affair with Antipas when he visited Rome where she now lived.
Herod #3: Caesar Augustus gave the larger part of Herod the Great’s territory to Herod’s eldest living son, Archelaus, but made him ethnarch of Idumea, Judea and Samarea. He had more territory than his brothers, but a lower title. His headquarters were in Jerusalem, and he ruled from 1 BC to 6 AD.
His Aunt, Herod the Great’s sister Salome I, was given a toparchy of the cities of Iamnia and Azotus on the Mediterranean, and Phasaelis next to the Jordan River. Her role would be somewhat like a governor of these cities.
Archelaus was half Idumean and half Samaritan, so the Jews in Judea hated having such a person over them. Archelaus at first tried to appease but then turned retaliatory and had about 3,000 Jews slaughtered which just escalated the discontent.
During this time is when Joseph was warned by an angel not to return to Judea (Mt 2:22), so he went back to Nazareth which was part of Galilee and ruled by Herod Antipas. After seven years of complaining, the emperor finally removed Archelaus and exiled him to Gaul (i.e., France today). Therefore, Joseph, Mary, and Jesus lived in Egypt for less than seven years.
Rather than replacing Archelaus, Rome instituted Roman prefects (somewhat like governors) to rule in his place. Pilate was the fifth one who ruled during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion. Pilate was in office seven years prior to Christ’s crucifixion and for three years after. Prefects ruled until the reign of Herod Agrippa I.
Herod #4: Emperor Augustus made Herod’s other son named Philip tetrarch over territories northeast of the Sea of Galilee (Iturea, Trachonitis, Gaulinitis, Batanaea, and Auranitis; Lk 3:1), what is mainly Syria and parts of Lebanon today. His headquarters were in Caesarea Philippi. He married Salome, the daughter of Herodias. This made them mother and daughter as well as sisters-in-law at the same time. Christ was in his territory during his transfiguration on Mt Hermon.
Herod #5: Caesar Augustus made Antipas tetrarch over Galilee and Perea. His headquarters were in Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and he ruled from 1 BC to 39 AD. In 26 AD, when Tiberius was Caesar, Antipas traveled to Rome and visited his brother Philip. While there, Antipas and Herodias have an affair and decide to divorce their spouses. My guess is that Herodias missed the status of being the wife of a ruler. John the Baptist spoke out against their sin (Lk 3:19), for according to Leviticus 20:21: If a man marries his brother’s wife while both are still alive, it is an act of impurity; he has dishonored his brother. They will be childless. This led to John being beheaded a couple of years later (Mt 14:10) in 28 AD after he began to preach against Herod Antipas and Herodias. Many of the Jewish population were offended by what Antipas and Herodias were doing. Yet, it seems John was the most outspoken and suffered the consequence.
Herodias had her daughter, Salome, dance for Herod Antipas at one of his birthday parties in Machaerus, Perea, on the eastern bank of the Dead Sea (Mt 14:6). She was likely fourteen to fifteen years of age at the time. Some say that since she was so young, it wasn’t a suggestive dance, but that doesn’t seem to be the implication as he was so enamored with her that she could wish for anything (Mt 14:7). At her mother’s request, she asked for the head of John the Baptist. Since he had made an oath, Antipas felt he could not back down and ordered John beheaded (Mt 14:8-11).
The death of John the Baptist sealed the opposition of the two of them being married, at least open opposition. They were officially married in 31 AD. It apparently took them three years to get their divorce from their spouses so they could wed.
In 33 AD, while attending Passover in Jerusalem, Pilate sends Jesus to Antipas for questioning just before Christ is crucified (Lk 23:7).
Herod #6: While this is going on, Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great, is being educated in Rome and became good friends with Emperor Caligula who gave him the territory of Galilee and Perea and was going to bestow the title of king to him. Hearing of this, Antipas tried to get the title himself but was banished in the process. Caligula gave Agrippa Antipas’ territory north and east of the Sea of Galilee. Before bestowing the title of king, Caligula was assassinated. Agrippa was instrumental in getting Claudius to be the next Caesar. In appreciation, Claudius not only gave Agrippa I the title of king but the territory of Idumea, Judea, and Samaria as well which allowed him to rule the same territory in total as his grandfather, Herod the Great and ruled from 41 AD to 44 AD with his headquarters in Berytus (which is Beruit, Lebanon, today). However, he also lived in palaces in such places as Caesarea Philippi, Caesarea Maritima, and Jerusalem, whether his or built by his grandfather.
Herod Agrippa I had several people from the Church in Jerusalem arrested and had James, the brother of John, and son of Zebedee, killed by the sword (Ac 12:2). Seeing that this pleased the Jewish leaders, he also had Peter arrested. Yet, God sent an angel and had Peter released from prison (Ac 12:3-11). When Herod Agrippa I was in Caesarea Maritima, God struck him down after he gave a rousing speech where he tried to portray himself as a god (Ac 12:21-23). He later died, likely from parasites. After him, proconsuls ruled Judea overseeing the financial affairs of the area.
Herod #7: Herod Agrippa II, the great grandson of Herod the Great and son of Agrippa I, was the king of Chalcis (today southern Lebanon) and was given the territory north and east of the Sea of Galilee (which is today Syria) and later given cities in Galilee and Perea as well as the duty to oversee the temple in Jerusalem, likely because he was of Hasmonean descent which would better appease the Jews. His headquarters were in Casarea Philippi which he renamed Neronias in honor of Roman Emperor Nero.
When Paul was incarcerated in Caesarea Maritima after his 3rd missionary journey, he was able to preach to Agrippa II and his sister Bernice when Festus replaced Felix as governor of the area (Ac 25:13-26:32). He ruled from 50 AD to 93 AD, so he witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and had encouraged the Jews to submit to Roman rule.
So what have we seen here? Clearly Satan was at work. His four deceptive errors with the Hasmoneans led to the eventual coup leading to Esau’s descendants reigning over Jacob’s descendants. Jacob’s birthright had truly been usurped. This eventually led to the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. All these events had the Jewish leaders distracted because they were desperately trying to salvage their Jewish heritage.
What does this mean to us? We cannot solve our problems on our own. We need God. We only make a mess of things and open ourselves up to Satan outsmarting us and making us self-implode. Christ had a better way, but everyone was so focused on what was going on around them politically to try and solve their mess that the work of Christ got overlooked even though what he was doing was right in front of them. Jesus Christ had a different plan, a plan to not only make right what had been wrong, but to solve their sin problem which was the source of all their problems. We, too, need to look at ourselves. Are we too busy trying to solve our own problems or are we looking to see how we can be a part of God’s plan, a plan that will save us spiritually, emotionally, and yes, eventually, even physically? God has the answer to all our problems.
While Satan achieved his goal he had set up, the death of Christ certainly gave a fatal blow to his schemes. Next time we’ll see that the physical temple was not important for the next phase of God’s plan for mankind. But what did Satan do, did he give up? Absolutely not. He never gives up. He pivots. He couldn’t stop the church from forming, but he could counter and that is exactly what he did. Join me next time as we look at what happens next.
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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens