THEOSISJerome of Stridon
His heart is set against the sacred covenant, and he will carry out his schemes and return to his homeland. At a specific time, he will venture south once more, but this final expedition will differ from those previous. The ships and the Romans will confront him, leading to his defeat, or as another translation puts it: they will make threats against him. Both Greek and Roman historical accounts reveal that when Antiochus, after being expelled by the Egyptians, came back, he advanced into Judea—against the sacred covenant—plundering the temple and seizing a significant amount of gold, before leaving a garrison of Macedonians in the fortress and returning to his own territory. However, within two years, he assembled another army against Ptolemy and marched south again.
Read more (331 words)
While he was besieging the two sons of Cleopatra, whom he was related to, in Alexandria, Roman envoys arrived. One of them, Marcus Popilius Lena, found him on the shore and presented him with the senate's decree demanding that he withdraw from the allies of the Roman people and submit to their authority. When he considered delaying his response based on the advice of his advisors, Popilius allegedly drew a circle in the sand around the king with a stick and stated, "The senate and the people of Rome command that you respond here, what do you intend to do?” Alarmed by this, he acknowledged that if it pleased the senate and the Roman people, he would indeed withdraw, and without hesitation, he retreated his forces. He is considered struck down, not because he was destroyed, but because he lost his arrogance and pride. Regarding the Antichrist, it is clear that he will contend against the sacred covenant, first waging war against the king of Egypt and then being suddenly alarmed by Roman intervention. This was prefigured in the actions of Antiochus Epiphanes, who exemplified the archetype of an Antichrist—a tyrant who persecuted the people of God and foreshadowed the future persecution of Christians. Consequently, many believe that Domitius Nero, known for his severe atrocities, will be the Antichrist. He will return, harboring rage against the sanctuary covenant, fulfilling his plans and plotting against those who have turned away from the sacred covenant. As we read in the Acts of the Maccabees, after being expelled from Egypt by the Romans, he, filled with bitterness, turned against the covenant of the sanctuary, being embraced by those who had forsaken the Law of God and aligned themselves with pagan beliefs. This will be more profoundly realized in the Antichrist, who will harbor resentment against God's covenant and scheme against those he aims to lead astray from God's Law. Thus, Aquila translates more clearly: and will conspire to forsake the covenant of the sanctuary.