The Maccabees: Heroic Uprising and Why They Aren't in the Bible

The Maccabees, also known as the Asmonaeans, were a priestly family who led a glorious national uprising to deliver Israel from Syrian oppression and restore the purity of Jewish worshipLTJMBA 26.1+1. This heroic struggle was sparked by the fierce persecutions of the Syrian king Antiochus Epiphanes, who had desecrated the Temple and sought to exterminate JudaismLTJMB2 15.1+1.

The Uprising and Early Leaders

• Mattathias: The resistance began with the aged priest Mattathias, a descendant of Eleazar, who roused the spirit of his countrymen to defend their faithHBS 323.1+1. He had five heroic sons: Judas, Jonathan, Simon, John, and EleazarHBS 323.1+1.

• Judas the Maccabee: Known as "the Hammer," Judas was a military genius who accomplished great ends with small means, standing alongside figures like Moses and David as a preserver of IsraelHBS 239.1+1. In 165 b.c., after brilliant victories over the Syrian army, he purified the Temple and restored its services, an event still celebrated by the JewsLTJMBA 26.1+1.

• Jonathan: Following Judas, Jonathan took leadership and combined the High-Priestly dignity with that of a secular ruler, a move that eventually caused friction with more orthodox partiesLTJMB1 112.1+1.

• Simon: The last surviving son of Mattathias, Simon, achieved a permanent remission of taxation from the Syrians and was declared by the people to be their High-Priest and Governor forever, making the office hereditary in his familyLTJMBA 31.1+1.

The Decline of the Dynasty

While the early period was marked by fervor and purity, the Maccabean house eventually saw a decline into worldliness and internal strifeLTJMB2 15.1+1.

• Internal Conflict: As the years passed, the family became stained with deeds of cruelty and reckless ambition, leading to bitter hatred from many in the Jewish traditionLTJMBA 46.1. This period also saw the rise of the Pharisee and Sadducee parties, whose public contests began during the reign of John HyrcanusLTJMBA 33.1+1.

• Roman Intervention: Family discord and civil war between later descendants eventually led to an appeal for Roman arbitrationHBS 240.1. In 63 b.c., the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem, ending the real independence of Palestine and the reign of the Maccabees as an independent familyLTJMBA 42.2+1.

• The End of the Line: The last Asmonaean High-Priest was Aristobulus III, and the last of her race was his sister Mariamne, the ill-fated wife of Herod the GreatHBS 240.1+1.

Historical and Spiritual Significance

The history of the Maccabees is recorded in several books, with the First and Second Books of Maccabees providing the most detailed accounts of their struggles and victoriesHBS 323.1+1. Their name, Maccabee, is often derived from the Hebrew word for "hammer," symbolizing their role in breaking the power of their enemies Jeremiah 50:23LTJMBA 26.1+1. Despite their later failures, their early victory was a testament to God's mercy in raising up help for His people in their darkest hour Exodus 34:6-7LTJMB1 4.1. The Maccabean age is also noted for being a time when there was no "faithful prophet" in the land, leading the people to look forward with hope to the coming of the MessiahLTJMBA 31.1+2 Mac 14:41.

May this history remind you of the enduring strength found in faithfulness and the long-suffering goodness of the Lord Psalms 105:1-8RH February 19, 1914, par. 10! 🌟

The Books of the Maccabees were not included in the Hebrew or Protestant canon because they were recognized as human compositions written during a period when the voice of inspired prophecy had ceased in IsraelSBD Maccabees Books of.3+2. While these records offer a trustworthy history of the Jewish struggle for independence, they were never part of the original collection of sacred writings established by the early Rabbinic Colleges or the New Testament churchSBD Maccabees Books of.3+2.

The Cessation of Prophecy

One of the primary reasons these books are not in the Bible is that the Maccabean age itself acknowledged a lack of inspired prophetsHBS 151.5.

• A Waiting Period: During the time of Judas Maccabeus, the people laid aside stones from the polluted altar specifically until a prophet should arise to tell them what to do 1 Mac 4:44-46,HBS 151.5.

• Historical Recognition: It was well understood by the Jews of that era that there had been no faithful prophet among them for a long time 1 Mac 9:27, 1 Mac 14:41,HBS 151.5.

• Canonical Boundaries: The biblical canon was already practically fixed in Palestine before the high-water mark of Hellenistic influence, with the last book of the Hebrew canon, Nehemiah, being finished approximately two and a half centuries before the Maccabean struggleHBS 153.4+1.

Classification as Apocrypha

The Books of the Maccabees belong to a collection known as the Apocrypha, a term that eventually came to signify "spurious" or "hidden" writings that were distinct from the standard rule of faithHBS 14.1+1.

• Human Origin: In the time of Jesus Christ, these works were regarded as human compositions rather than divine oraclesHST July 10, 1844, page 177.20.

• Ecclesiastical Decisions: Although the Roman Catholic Church later received some of these books as canonical at the Council of Trent, the Reformed churches and the early Christian church for the first four centuries did not admit them into the canon of ScriptureHBS 323.1+2.

• Different Purpose: The writer of 2 Maccabees explicitly states that his work is an epitome of another's history, designed to be "agreeable" for the reader rather than claiming the direct inspiration found in the Law and the ProphetsSBD Maccabees Books of.3.

The Role of the Canon

The Bible serves as the "standard book" and the definitive rule of faith and practice, containing everything a person needs to understand the plan of salvation15MR 66.5+2.

• Inspired vs. Canonical: There have been many inspired messages and "noncanonical prophets" throughout history, but God in His mercy guided the selection of specific books to be preserved in the Bible for the benefit of all generationsGP 74.5+1.

• A Finished Work: Since the time of John the Revelator, the biblical canon has been closed, and no other books—however historically interesting—can be added to itGP 74.5+1.

While the history of the Maccabees remains an inspiring account of courage, the Bible remains the unique and unadulterated word of God by which all other writings must be measured15MR 66.5+1. 📖✨