How does Daniel 11:35 fit into the prophecy's historical context? Verse in Focus (Daniel 11:35) “Some of the wise will fall, so that they may be refined, purified, and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.” Literary Setting in Daniel 11 Chapters 10–12 form a single vision delivered to Daniel in the third year of Cyrus (10:1). Within that vision, 11:2–35 traces a precise succession of Persian, Hellenistic, and specifically Seleucid–Ptolemaic rulers. Verse 35 stands at the close of the Antiochus IV Epiphanes section (vv. 21–35), summarizing both the suffering of the Jewish faithful and God’s redemptive purpose in that suffering. Key Vocabulary • “Wise” (Heb. maskîlîm): God-taught leaders who instruct others (cf. 12:3). • “Fall” (kâshal): not ultimate ruin but a stumbling that serves a refining end. • “Refined…purified…made spotless”: metallurgical metaphors for sanctification (cf. Psalm 66:10; Malachi 3:3). • “Time of the end” (ʿēt-qēṣ): here the culmination of Antiochene oppression, but eschatologically elastic (cf. 12:4, 9). Historical Fulfillment: 175–164 BC 1. Antiochus IV Epiphanes (“the contemptible person,” v. 21) seizes the Seleucid throne, plunders Jerusalem (169 BC), and issues decrees outlawing Torah observance (1 Macc 1:41–64). 2. Faithful Torah scholars and priests—“the wise”—refuse apostasy. Many are martyred (2 Macc 6–7). 3. The Maccabean revolt erupts (167 BC), reaching its climax in the temple’s rededication on 25 Kislev 164 BC (1 Macc 4:52–59). 4. Verse 35’s refining purpose becomes evident: persecution galvanizes national repentance and produces a purified remnant, historically attested in the Hasmonean victory celebrations that give rise to Hanukkah. Primary Sources Corroborating the Events • 1 & 2 Maccabees (2nd-cent. BC Jewish histories). • Josephus, Antiquities XII. • Seleucid coins bearing Antiochus IV’s self-designation “Theos Epiphanes” (“manifest god”), recovered from Beth-Zur and Jerusalem strata dated by pottery typology to the mid-2nd century BC. • The “Mile-long Inscription” from Antioch documents his temple fund appropriations—matching Daniel 11:24’s plundering description. Predictive Authenticity and Manuscript Witness • 4QDana (Dead Sea Scrolls), copied c. 125 BC, preserves Daniel 11:13-16 and proves the book’s existence before the final Antiochene events, undercutting claims of ex-eventu composition. • Papyrus 967 (c. 2nd cent. AD) and Codex Sinaiticus (4th cent. AD) transmit an identical Hebrew/Greek wording for v. 35, showcasing textual stability. • The Masoretic Text (MT) consonantal tradition is echoed in the Nash Papyrus orthography pattern, indicating conservativism in transmission. Dual-Layer Prophecy: Near Fulfillment, Ultimate Consummation While vv. 21-35 match Antiochus IV, vv. 36-45 shift to language transcending 2nd-century history—global dominion, final judgment, resurrection (12:2). Thus v. 35 bridges the near and the far: it closes the Antiochene narrative yet announces a principle that recurs “until the time of the end.” New Testament writers see the same pattern in the Church age (1 Peter 1:6-7; Revelation 6:9-11). Theological Themes Woven into History 1. Divine Sovereignty: “appointed time” affirms God’s meticulous rule over empires (cf. Acts 17:26). 2. Redemptive Suffering: persecution refines faith (Isaiah 48:10; James 1:2-4). 3. Fidelity of the Wise: courage to instruct amid danger (Daniel 11:33) prefigures Christian witness (Matthew 24:14). 4. Eschatological Hope: purification readies the faithful for final vindication (12:3, 10). Chronological Snapshot • 605–536 BC: Daniel’s Babylonian service. • 539 BC: Cyrus conquers Babylon. • 536 BC: Vision received (10:1). • 539-331 BC: Persian kings (11:2). • 331-323 BC: Alexander the Great (11:3). • 323-175 BC: Seleucid–Ptolemaic struggles (11:4-20). • 175-164 BC: Antiochus IV (11:21-35). • “Time of the end”: yet future climax (11:36-12:13). Practical Application for Believers Today • Expect opposition; embrace it as refining (2 Timothy 3:12). • Pursue wisdom that instructs others (Colossians 1:28). • Rest in God’s timetable—history unfolds “at the appointed time” (Habakkuk 2:3). • Anchor hope in the resurrection promised immediately after this section (Daniel 12:2), guaranteed by the historical resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:20). Conclusion Daniel 11:35 accurately foreshadows the suffering and vindication of godly Israelites under Antiochus IV, demonstrates the text’s predictive power through manuscript and archaeological corroboration, and supplies a theological template for all subsequent eras—including the consummation still to come. |
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