Let’s look at some of the key verses of the chapter and relate them to both early fulfillments in the person of Antiochus IV and latter fulfillments in the Antichrist himself:
He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His sanctuary was cast down. (v11)
Antiochus IV assumed the title “Epiphanes” meaning “manifest” (i.e. God Manifest). Antichrist is
likely to take to himself the office of “Christ”, along perhaps with titles from other religions.
…he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered. (v12)
Antiochus sought to destroy the Jewish religion and convert the people to a Hellenistic (Grecian) way of thinking. Antichrist will also seek to destroy both Judaism and true Christianity and replace it with something basically occultic or New Age in nature, though perhaps allowing for variations that wear
“Christian” labels in order to satisfy the apostate followers of Christian traditions.
“How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation…?”
(v13)
“For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.” (v14)
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Antiochus caused the temple worship to cease and erected a statue of Jupiter in the temple (with his own facial features on it). Antichrist we are told in II Thessalonians 2 will “sit in the temple of God, showing that he is God”. The 2300 days mentioned here has proved a little hard to pin down but
most likely predicted a time between interferences with the temple sacrifice by Antiochus and the
cleansing and rededication of the temple by the followers of Judas Maccabeus (when Jerusalem was
recaptured from Antiochus about three years into the guerilla war they waged against him). It could also potentially predict the gap in time between Antichrist’s desolation of the temple in the end
times and a later “cleansing of the sanctuary” (v14); possibly a rededication of the temple in the
Messianic kingdom at some point after the return of Jesus the Messiah. It’s worth commenting that
because the phrase for days in the original manuscripts is literally “evening mornings”, it’s not 100%
clear whether the period is 2300 days or 1150, though 2300 seems more likely. What the literal
meaning does tell us is that it is almost certainly erroneous to take the 2300 “evening mornings” to mean 2300 years, since “evening mornings” are so specifically connected to the biblical definition of days in Genesis 1:3, (“So the evening and the morning were the first day”).
“And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors have come to their fullness, a king shall arise who understands sinister schemes. His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; he shall destroy fearfully, and shall prosper and thrive; he shall destroy the mighty and also the holy people. (v23-24)
Like Antiochus, Antichrist is likely to be full of dark and hidden schemes, and to an extent greater than any man before him will be empowered by the devil (or perhaps even be the devil incarnate).
Like Antiochus IV the Antichrist is likely to make great wars (“destroy fearfully”), and for a time shall seem to prosper and thrive. Both are enemies of the Jews who crush, and to a large extent conquer
them, for a season. Also, just as Antiochus was plagued by the dedicated followers of Judas
Maccabeus, so dedicated Jews may hold out in parts of Israel against Antichrist and ultimately eject him from the land, this perhaps being what brings about the great convergence of nations against
Jerusalem in the final days of the tribulation (Zechariah 12).
He shall even rise against the prince of princes; but shall be broken without human means. (v25) Anyone who rises up against God’s people is rising up against God himself. Antiochus died suddenly
of illness in 164BC, while the Antichrist appears to be divinely overthrown in Revelation 19:19-20.
All up chapter eight builds on chapters two and seven, in particular focusing on the “king of fierce countenance” and his exploits against the people of God, the temple of God and God himself at the
“time of the end”. This theme, and understanding the nature of this person, seems to be highly
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important in the prophecies given to Daniel. Antichrist is arguably the main focus of Daniel chapters seven, eight, the last verse of chapter 9 and from about v36 onwards in chapter 11. The prophecies
of Daniel certainly speak of kingdoms, but with even more emphasis they speak again and again of a
king who will come and do much harm to God’s people.