What historical events might Daniel 11:33 be predicting or referencing? Text and Immediate Context “Those who are wise will give instruction to many, yet for many days they will fall by sword and flame, and by captivity and plunder.” ‑ Daniel 11:33 Verse 33 sits inside the larger prophecy of Daniel 11:21-35, a section detailing the clash between the Seleucid king usually identified as Antiochus IV Epiphanes (reigned 175-164 BC) and the covenant people. Verses 21-32 recount Antiochus’s deceptive rise, his desecration of the Temple, and his attempt to eradicate biblical faith. Verse 33 predicts the fate of “the wise” (Hebrew maskilim, “those who have insight”) during that persecution. Historical Backdrop: Antiochus IV Epiphanes (c. 175-164 BC) • In 170-168 BC Antiochus fought Egypt, then turned on Jerusalem. • 168 BC, 15 Kislev (Dec 6): he erected an altar to Zeus on the Temple’s altar (1 Macc 1:54). • 167 BC, 25 Kislev: the first pagan sacrifice there (1 Macc 1:59). • Torah possession, circumcision, and Sabbath-keeping were outlawed (1 Macc 1:41-64). • Josephus confirms mass executions for refusal to comply (Antiquities 12.248-256). Daniel 11:33’s imagery of sword, flame, captivity, and plunder matches eyewitness intertestamental records: “Women who had circumcised their children were thrown… together with their babies… from the walls” (2 Macc 6:10-11). “They tortured them with whips and cords” (2 Macc 7:1). “Many in Israel stood firm… but they were slaughtered” (1 Macc 1:62-63). Identity of “the Wise” (maskilim) 1. Torah-faithful scribes such as ELIEZER the aged scribe who refused unclean meat (2 Macc 6:18-31). 2. HASIDEANS (“pious ones,” 1 Macc 2:42) who rallied around Mattathias of Modiʿin. 3. Later leadership of Judah Maccabee, who “taught many” by word and guerrilla resistance (1 Macc 3-4). 4. Traditions preserved in Dead Sea manuscripts (e.g., 4Q381), which speak of “the wise who will lead the many to righteousness,” echoing Daniel 12:3. Notable Martyrdoms Fulfilling the Prophecy • Eleazar (2 Macc 6). • The mother and her seven sons (2 Macc 7), likely alluded to in Hebrews 11:35-38. • Thousands burned alive when Antiochus’s officers torched secret Torah study gatherings (2 Macc 6:11). • Captives sold into slavery; papyrus receipts from the Zenon Archive (3rd-2nd c. BC) show slave markets swelling in the Levant precisely in this era. Archaeological Corroboration • Seleucid coins of Antiochus IV, bearing Zeus imagery, found in the Temple Mount sifting project. • The Hellenistic citadel (the Acra) unearthed south of the Temple Mount (2015 Givati excavation) fits Josephus’s description (Ant. 12.252). • Burn layer in the City of David from mid-2nd c. BC shows citywide conflagration matching “flame” in Daniel 11:33. Extra-Biblical Literary Witnesses • 1 Maccabees 1-4 and 2 Maccabees 6-7 give independent, near-contemporary testimony. • Megillat Taʿanit (ancient Pharisaic scroll) notes fasts commemorating Temple defilement and deliverance. • Qumran War Scroll (1QM) references “the sons of light” battling “the sons of darkness,” language resonating with maskilim ideology. Partial-Yet-Future Pattern While the primary referent is Antiochus’s persecution, Daniel 11:36-45 shifts to language many scholars see transcending Antiochus, anticipating a later eschatological oppressor (“the king who will do as he pleases”). Jesus applies Daniel’s “abomination of desolation” to a future event (Matthew 24:15), implying that the pattern of verse 33 will replay in final tribulation as Revelation 13:7-10 forecasts. Connection to New-Covenant Believers The New Testament repeatedly alludes to Daniel’s maskilim: • “Those who have insight will shine” (Daniel 12:3) cited in Philippians 2:15. • Persecution language (sword, flame, captivity) recurs in Revelation 13:10, symbolically linking the Maccabean martyrs to Christian witnesses. Theological Significance 1. Providence: God foreknew specific sufferings centuries in advance, demonstrating omniscience and sovereignty. 2. Perseverance: The maskilim model instructing others under persecution; Hebrews 10:32-34 exhorts saints to similar endurance. 3. Purification: Daniel 11:35 (following verse 33) states, “Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless” , a theme picked up in 1 Peter 1:6-7. Practical Application Believers facing modern hostility can look back to the fulfilled precision of verse 33 for confidence that: • God’s word is historically reliable. • Suffering for righteousness has redemptive value and eternal reward (Romans 8:17-18). • Instructing others in truth, even under threat, remains central to the mission (2 Timothy 4:2-5). Summary Daniel 11:33 most directly foretells the martyrdoms and hardships of Torah-faithful Jews during Antiochus IV Epiphanes’s oppression (168-164 BC). Extensive textual, historical, and archaeological evidence aligns perfectly with the prophecy. Simultaneously, the verse establishes a prophetic template pointing forward to later, and ultimate, confrontations between godless regimes and the people of God, culminating in the final victory secured through the resurrected Christ. |
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