By Rev. John Jackson
My mother like many in her generation likes to associate troubling times of political upheaval with the words “we are living in the last days.” I’ve been hearing this phrase from her and many other elders of her generation for the majority of my life.
I don’t know if we are living in the last days of this planet or not and I often remind myself of what Jesus said to his disciples when they asked him about the end times: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”
But here is what I do know and that is oppressed people in history and in our sacred scriptures used what is called “apocalyptic” literature to express the fall of empires that oppressed them. Apocalypse means “an unveiling or uncovering or revealing of something that was hidden.”
The reason oppressed people spoke in this coded language is obvious, they did not want their oppressors to know how they really felt and what they were secretly working on and hoping for which was the downfall of that empire because of its domination system.
The most common apocalyptic writings that most people are familiar with is in the book of Revelation in the bible. However, there’s apocalyptic writings in the Old Testament also.
Daniel is one place where we find these writings. In Daniel the 8th chapter we find some curious references in verses 23-25. It says,“In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a stern- faced king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper and will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human hands.”
There is more in the chapter that leads up to the verses I quoted above which adds to the background but the text is concerning the fall of Babylon, the rise and fall of Persia and the rise and fall of Greece all of which were empires that oppressed the Israelites. The last ruler who “was a master of intrigue, caused deceit to prosper and considered himself superior,” was referencing the Hellenistic King of the Seleucid empire Antiochus IV Epiphanes who tried to trample out and end the religion Judaism among the Jews. He wanted all that Greece ruled to worship and act as Greeks.
The title “Epiphanes” means “God manifest,” and indicates the absurd arrogance of this king. Antiochus upon ascending to the throne reversed a policy of his predecessors that respected Jewish worship and culture but he outlawed it. He went on a rampage of Jerusalem violently killing over eighty thousand Jewish men, women and children and then went into the temple and slaughtered a hog in the temple as an act of extreme disrespect of their religion. That’s what the text means when it says “He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.” Antiochus’ thug behavior triggered what has been called the Maccabean revolt. This rebellion was a guerrilla like movement in the Judean countryside, that spread and ultimately overthrew their Seleucid oppressors and restored/rededicated the temple in Jerusalem.
That is what Hanukkah is all about.
The restoration of the temple was associated with the power of God which is why the text says, “he will be destroyed but not by human hands.”
Oppressed people whether in scripture or in modern history have had to express their hopes for an end to their oppression in code language or apocalyptic writings. I have written before about the code language of African people held in bondage here in America. I have written about the coded, apocalyptic songs called “Negro Spirituals,” and how they were a means to communicate with one another without the plantation owners being aware.
I close with the words of one of those powerful songs of liberation. The words “I got shoes, you got shoes, all God’s chillun got shoes. When I get to heaven gonna put on my shoes and walk all over God’s heaven. Heaven, Heaven, everybody talkin bout heaven ain’t goin there.”
This happens to be one of my favorite Negro Spirituals because it shows what I call “sanctified shade.” The verse “everybody talkin bout heaven ain’t goin there…” is a reference to plantation owners who talked about heaven but in reality, were bound for the fires of Hell because of their trafficking in human flesh.
Apocalyptic writings are not about the end of the world but the end of the oppression by empires. Remember that, it is important that you interpret scripture in context so you can properly apply it to modern circumstances.
Be well, Be authentic and stay woke!
Rev. Dr. John E. Jackson, Sr. is the Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ-Gary, 1276 W. 20th Ave. in Gary. “We are not just another church but we are a culturally conscious, Christ-centered church, committed to the community; we are unashamedly Black and unapologetically Christian.” Contact the church by email at [email protected] or by phone at 219-944-0500.