Rise and be Machabees: the greatest threat to the Union and Constitution since the Civil War

Justin Haggerty | The Daily Knight

(Chabad)

"A dark cloud has descended on this nation," as Bishop Joseph Strickland recently tweeted in reference to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' embrace of pro-abortion and heretical Joe Biden. The American dream is being perverted and distorted into a nightmare governed by the likes and thoughts of Robespierre, Marx, Darwin, Lenin, Stalin, Nero, Judas, and Lucifer.

For years, Democrats have forced socialism, marxism, critical race theory, gender ideology, feminism, globalism, immigration, climate change, police brutality, systemic racism, and liberation theology down our throats. Furthermore, in an attempt to secure power in Washington D.C. in an election year, socialists promoted unsubstantiated claims of "Russian Collusion," wasteful impeachment hearings, and COVID-19 shutdowns to destroy the economy and insight violence in urban areas.

Unfortunately, these socialists, like their father Lucifer, adhere to no bounds or laws established by Divine Commandment and Christian virtue. Evidence and affidavits continue to pour in, illustrating the left's willingness to produce a nationwide conspiracy to commit voter fraud to steal the election from the will of the American People.

MSNBC's own Jennifer Rubin threatened a Stalinist purge on live broadcast, stating that "we have to burn down the Republican Party." In line with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)'s call to document Trump supporters with the Trump Accountability Project, Rubin asserted that "it's not only that Trump has to lose, his enablers have to lose...we have to level them...because if there are survivors, if there are people who weather this storm, they will [elect a president] again."

To many Americans, the left's violent rhetoric sounds like it was conceived from the Soviet Union or Communist China. These are the same people who advocate for the burning of our cities, but threaten to throw Christians in jail for going to Church. Remember, in marxism, the public practice and display of Faith is prohibited; society and the secular government is centered around man. Hence, why that perverse system is a mirror of man's corruptibility.

The 2020 General Election has delivered a threat against liberty and act of treason against the electoral process that has put the Union and the Constitution in the greatest risk since the American Civil War. But while these times are dark, it is spiritually fruitful to remember to put all faith in Christ, for it is Christ who is the "light [that] shineth in darkness, and the darkness [does] not comprehend it." (Jn. 1:4).

Like our American framers and founders, who stood against tyranny and the usurping of liberty, patriots must keep the Faith and rise like modern Machabees; "for the success of war is not in the multitude of the army, but strength cometh from heaven." (1 Machabees 3:19)

Have you read the first and second books of Machabees?

Below is a summary from The Catholic Encyclopedia, 1910, detailing the initial revolts of Mathathias and his son Judas in 1 Machabees and 2 Machabees, which is very relatable to the current dangers of American and Christian society.

The Machabees

A priestly family which under the leadership of Mathathias initiated the revolt against the tyranny of Antiochus IV Epiphanes, King of Syria, and after securing Jewish independence ruled the commonwealth till overthrown by Herod the Great. The name Machabee was originally the surname of Judas, the third son of Mathathias, but was later extended to all the descendants of Mathathias, and even to all who took part in the rebellion. It is also given to the martyrs mentioned in II Mach., vi, 18-vii. Of the various explanations of the word the one given above is the most probable. Machabee would accordingly mean "hammerer" or "hammer-like", and would have been given to Judas because of his valour in combating the enemies of Israel. The family patronymic of the Machabees was Hasmoneans or Asmoneans, from Hashmon, Gr. Asamonaios, an ancestor of Mathathias. This designation, which is always used by the old Jewish writers, is now commonly applied to the princes of the dynasty founded by Simon, the last of the sons of Mathathias.

Events leading to the revolt of Mathathias

The rising under Mathathias was caused by the attempt of Antiochus IV to force Greek paganism on his Jewish subjects. This was the climax of a movement to hellenize the Jews, begun with the king's approval by a party among the Jewish aristocracy, who were in favour of breaking down the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile and of adopting Greek customs. The leader of this party was Jesus, or Josue, better known by his Greek name Jason, the unworthy brother of the worthy high-priest, Onias III. By promising the king a large sum of money, and by offering to become the promoter among the Jews of his policy of hellenizing the non-Greek population of his domains, he obtained the deposition of his brother and his own appointment to the high-priesthood (174 B.C.). As soon as he was installed he began the work of hellenizing and carried it on with considerable success. A gymnasium was built below the Acra (citadel), in close proximity to the temple, where the youths of Jerusalem were taught Greek sports. Even priests became addicted to the games and neglected the altar for the gymnasium. Many, ashamed of what a true Jew gloried in, had the marks of circumcision removed to avoid being recognized as Jews in the baths or the gymnasium. Jason himself went so far as to send money for the games celebrated at Tyre in honour of Hercules (1 Machabees 1:11-16; 2 Machabees 4:7-20). After three years, Jason was forced to yield the pontificate to Menelaus, his agent with the king in money matters, who secured the office by outbidding his employer. To satisfy his obligations to the king, the man, who was a Jew only in name, appropriated sacred vessels, and when the former high-priest Onias protested against the sacrilege he procured his assassination. The following year Jason, emboldened by a rumor of the death of Antiochus, who was then warring against Egypt, attacked Jerusalem and forced Menelaus to take refuge in the Acra. On hearing of the occurrence Antiochus marched against the city, massacred many of the inhabitants, and carried off what sacred vessels were left (1 Machabees 1:17-28; 2 Machabees 4:23-5:23).

In 168 B.C. Antiochus undertook a second campaign against Egypt, but was stopped in his victorious progress by an ultimatum of the Roman Senate. He vented his rage on the Jews, and began a war of extermination against their religion. Apollonius was sent with orders to hellenize Jerusalem by extirpating the native population and by peopling the city with strangers. The unsuspecting inhabitants were attacked on the Sabbath, when they would offer no defence; the men were slaughtered, the women and children sold into slavery. The city itself was laid waste and its walls demolished. An order was next issued abolishing Jewish worship and forbidding the observance of Jewish rites under pain of death. A heathen altar was built on the altar of holocausts, where sacrifices were offered to Olympic Jupiter, and the temple was profaned by pagan orgies. Altars were also set up throughout the country at which the Jews were to sacrifice to the king's divinities. Though many conformed to these orders, the majority remained faithful and a number of them laid down their lives rather than violate the law of their fathers. The Second Book of Machabees narrates at length the heroic death of an old man, named Eleazar, and of seven brothers with their mother. (1 Machabees 1:30-67; 2 Machabees 5:24-7:41)

The persecution proved a blessing in disguise; it exasperated even the moderate Hellenists, and prepared a rebellion which freed the country from the corrupting influences of the extreme Hellenist party. The standard of revolt was raised by Mathathias, as priest of the order of Joarib (cf. 1 Chronicles 24:7), who to avoid the persecution had fled from Jerusalem to Modin (now El Mediyeh), near Lydda, with his five sons John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar and Jonathan. When solicited by a royal officer to sacrifice to the gods, with promises of rich rewards and of the king's favour, he firmly refused, and when a Jew approached the altar to sacrifice, he slew him together with the king's officer, and destroyed the altar. He and his sons then fled to the mountains, where they were followed by many of those who remained attached to their religion. Among these were the Hasîdîm, or Assideans, a society formed to oppose the encroaching Hellenism by a scrupulous observance of traditional customs. Mathathias and his followers now overran the country destroying heathen altars, circumcising children, driving off aliens and apostate Jews, and gathering in new recruits. He died, however, within a year (166 B.C.). At his death he exhorted his sons to carry on the fight for their religion, and appointed Judas military commander with Simon as adviser. He was buried at Modin amid great lamentations (1 Machabees 2).

Judas Machabeus

(166-161 B.C.).

Judas fully justified his father's choice. In a first encounter he defeated and killed Apollonius, and shortly after routed Seron at Bethoron (1 Machabees 3:1-26). Lysias, the regent during Antiochus's absence in the East, then sent a large army under the three generals Ptolemee, Nicanor and Gorgias. Judas's little army unexpectedly fell on the main body of the enemy at Emmaus (later Nicopolis, now Amwâs) in the absence of Gorgias, and put it to rout before the latter could come to its aid; whereupon Gorgias took to flight (1 Machabees 3:27-4:25; 2 Machabees 8). The next year Lysias himself took the field with a still larger force; but he, too, was defeated at Bethsura (not Bethoron as in the Vulgate). Judas now occupied Jerusalem, though the Acra still remained in the hands of the Syrians. The temple was cleansed and rededicated on the day on which three years before it had been profaned (1 Machabees 4:28-61; 2 Machabees 10:1-8). During the breathing time left to him by the Syrians Judas undertook several expeditions into neighbouring territory, either to punish acts of aggression or to bring into Judea Jews exposed to danger among hostile populations (1 Machabees 5; 2 Machabees 10:14-38; 12:3-40). After the death of Antiochus Epiphanes (164 B.C.) Lysias led two more expeditions into Judea. The first ended with another defeat at Bethsura, and with the granting of freedom of worship to the Jews (2 Machabees 11). In the second, in which Lysias was accompanied by his ward, Antiochus V Eupator, Judas suffered a reverse at Bethzacharam (where Eleazar died a glorious death); and Lysias laid siege to Jerusalem. Just then troubles concerning the regency required his presence at home; he therefore concluded peace on condition that the city be surrendered (1 Machabees 6:21-63; 2 Machabees 13). As the object for which the rebellion was begun had been obtained, the Assideans seceded from Judas when Demetrius I, who in the meanwhile had dethroned Antiochus V, installed Alcimus, "a priest of the seed of Aaron", as high-priest (1 Machabees 7:1-19). Judas, however, seeing that the danger to religion would remain as long as the Hellenists were in power, would not lay down his arms till the country was freed of these men. Nicanor was sent to the aid of Alcimus, but was twice defeated and lost his life in the second encounter (1 Machabees 7:20-49; 2 Machabees 14:11-15:37). Judas now sent a deputation to Rome to solicit Roman interference; but before the senate's warning reached Demetrius, Judas with only 800 men risked a battle at Laisa (or Elasa) with a vastly superior force under Baccides, and fell overwhelmed by numbers (1 Machabees 8-9:20). Thus perished a man worthy of Israel's most heroic days. He was buried beside his father at Modin (161 B.C.).

In Conclusion

We have a duty, greater than life itself, to defend truth and the wellbeing of the innocent and the vulnerable. As Dylan Thomas wrote in his famous poem: "Do not go gentle into that good night...rage, rage against the dying of the light."