When Antiochus Epiphanes starts to do his terrible things, it in fact reveals God’s wrath and judgment. Yet this is not all that is revealed. God’s judgment, too, will come to an end through his faithfulness and omnipotence. In God’s time this mighty king, the devil’s helper, will be defeated. Just as the devil himself will also be defeated one day, and at some future time will be locked up in hell forever; see Revelation 20:10.
This is not about what is called the end times, the final period of world history. Rather it is about God’s judgment upon a people who turn away from the Lord, even after the glorious redemption from exile. When the angel refers to the appointed time of the end
, he is speaking about the end of a certain period in God’s work, the end of God’s wrath at this time.
19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of the indignation, for it refers to the appointed time of the end.