Deeper Reflection
The term “covenant” occurs four times in the prophetic narrative of Antiochus’ religious rampage (vv.28-32), with thrice as “the holy covenant” (vv.28, 30, 32). The “holy covenant” is a key object in the narrative here. It refers to the covenant that God had made with Israel, in which God was the initiator. In Daniel 11 where God is virtually absent, “the holy covenant” alludes to and represents the God of the covenant. Any action taken on “the holy covenant” is on God Himself.⁶⁶ There are two sets of negative actions toward “the holy covenant” from two groups of people.Antiochus’ heart was “set against the holy covenant” (v.28) and he became “enraged at the holy covenant” (v.30). He “was set on emasculating the vitals of biblical faith and was determined to see every Jew apostatise. He stripped them of sacrament (the death penalty for circumcising male infants), sacrifice (unless they would offer pagan offerings to Zeus), Sabbath (observing it brought a death sentence) and Scripture (one’s life was forfeit if caught with a torah scroll)”⁶⁷ . So, God’s people were left with only one choice: Be a live pagan or a dead Israelite.⁶⁸ What will we do when we are put in a similar situation?Among God’s people then were “those who forsake the holy covenant” (v.30) and “those who acted wickedly toward the covenant” (v.32). Antiochus showed favour to these (v.30), and corrupted them “by smooth words” – “seductive flattery and deception”⁶⁹ (v.32). Fear of suffering succumbs to the seduction to compromise, which leads to defection from the faithful covenant God.

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⁶⁶ Joyce G. Baldwin, 193 ⁶⁷ Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel, The Bible Speaks Today (IVP, 2013), 154 ⁶⁸ Dale Ralph Davis, 154 ⁶⁹ Christopher J. H. Wright, 224