In Daniel 8:24 we are told that Antiochus will destroy the saints. Regarding temple worship in Jerusalem, his policy was to get rid of the worship of God. He banned Sabbath-keeping and the practice of circumcision, and outlawed sacrifices at the temple, introducing prostitution instead. And he treated God’s people in a brutal manner. As usual, there were those who refused to give up their faith. Many of them suffered greatly.
It is generally believed that Hebrews 11:35, which says, ‘Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life,’ refers to martyrs from this time and we can read about some of them in 2 Maccabees 7. Those martyrs were seven sons of a devout mother. The sons when they came to die affirmed their hope in the resurrection.
The reaction of the mother is recounted in that book as well. She lost her seven sons in one day. Yet she encouraged them with these words: ‘I do not know how you came into being in my womb. It was not I who gave you life and breath, nor I who set in order the elements within each of you. Therefore the Creator of the world, who shaped the beginning of humankind and devised the origin of all things, will in his mercy give life and breath back to you again, since you now forget yourselves for the sake of his laws.’
Why were they so loyal to God? The reason is that they loved him and were not willing to break even one of his laws, but they were sustained by the hope of future resurrection. We face the same reality. It is only love for Jesus that will keep us loyal to him. And there is every reason to love him. After all, he died to save us and now he lives to help us. His grace is freely given to us in every situation of life. He has assured us that he will be with all those who trust in him. But we should remember those who have gone ahead of us in serving loyally the King.
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