Daniel 11.33-The Prophecy of the Martyrdom of Wise Jews During the Reign of Terror Under Antiochus Epiphanes IV
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Wednesday June 18, 2014
Daniel: Daniel 11:33-The Prophecy of the Martyrdom of Wise Jews During the Reign of Terror Under Antiochus Epiphanes IV
Lesson # 350
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 11:29.
Daniel 11:29 “At the appointed time, he will return in order to wage an attack against the south. However, it will by no means turn out like the first or the last 30 because ships of Kittim will come against him. Consequently, he will be intimidated so that he will retreat. Then, he will vent his anger against the holy covenant so that he will take action. When he returns, he will also show partiality for those who abandon the holy covenant. 31 Even military forces will be mustered by him in order to cause the holy place, the place of Refuge to be defiled. Specifically, they will cause the daily sacrifice to be abolished. They will even erect an abomination resulting in desecration. 32 Also, those who violate the covenant, he will pervert with flatteries. However, those who know their God experientially will resist so that they will take action. 33 Indeed, those who are wise from the people will cause the masses to be instructed. However, for a period of time, they will be killed by the sword, by the fire, by captivity as a result of being made a prisoner of war.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:33 “Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many; yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days.” (NASB95)
“Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many” advances upon and intensifies the previous statement that those Jews who know their God experientially will resist the despicable king ruling the north so that they will take military action against him.
Therefore, the advancement and intensification is that the resistance against the despicable king ruling the north was fueled by a group of wise individuals who exhorted the nation to remain faithful to God which resulted in resisting the decrees of this king.
“Those who have insight” is the verb śā∙ḵǎl (שָׂכַל) (saw-kal), which means “to have insight, to have discernment, to be wise” since it pertains to the state of being marked by wisdom or in other words to be marked by deep understanding, keen discernment and a capacity for sound judgment.
It refers to the ability to make sound judgments or decisions based upon an accurate and in depth understanding of a particular matter.
Here it refers to those individuals in Israel who are characterized or marked by wisdom as a result of understanding the Word of God which results in their ability to make sound judgments or decisions because they have an accurate, in depth knowledge of the Word of God.
“Among the people” refers to the citizens of the nation of Israel.
“Will give understanding” is the verb bîn (בִּין) (bene), which means “to teach, instruct someone with regards to a particular subject” or in other words, causing knowledge and wisdom to be imparted to someone.
It is used here with those who are wise in Israel as its subject expressing the fact that these Jews will instruct the rest of the nation of Israel with regards to the Word of God.
It refers to these wise Jews causing knowledge and wisdom from the Word of God to be imparted to the rest of the nation of Israel with regards to the will of God for their lives which is revealed by the Spirit in the Word of God or Old Testament.
“The many” is the articular masculine plural form of the adjective rǎḇ (רַב) (rab), which means “the masses” since it pertains to a great body of the people as contrasted with the elite.
Thus, it refers to a large body of the citizens of the nation of Israel in contrast with those in the nation who were wise who instructed this large body of Israel’s citizens with regards to God’s will for their lives as it is revealed by the Spirit in the Old Testament Scriptures.
“Yet they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for many days” presents a contrast between the wise in Israel instructing their fellow citizens with regards to God’s will for their lives and their being persecuted and killed for doing so for a period of time.
“They will fall” is the verb nā·p̄ǎl (נָפַל) (naw-fal´), which literally means “to fall” but it is used in a figurative of sense for being killed by an enemy, which is indicated by the prepositional phrases which follow it which indicate the means by which they fall.
The prepositional phrases “by the sword,” “by the flame,” “by captivity” and “by plunder” suggest that this falling is a reference to physical death.
The third person plural form of this verb does not refer to all the citizens of the nation of Israel or the majority but rather those who are wise who instruct the majority with regards to God’s will for their lives.
Therefore, this verb refers to those who are wise in Israel being killed by the sword, by the fire, by captivity as a result of being made prisoners of war by the armies of the despicable king ruling the north.
“By sword” indicates that those who are wise in Israel and instructed the masses with regards to the Word of God will fall or be killed “by means of the sword.”
“By flame” indicates that those who are wise in Israel and instructed the masses with regards to the Word of God will fall or be killed “by means of the fire.”
“By captivity” indicates that those who are wise in Israel and instructed the masses with regards to the Word of God will fall or be killed “by means of captivity.”
“And by plunder” presents the result of those who are wise in Israel being killed by captivity.
“Plunder” is the noun biz·zā(h) (בִּזָּה) (biz-zaw´), which often means “plunder.”
However, here in Daniel 11:33, it means “made a prisoner of war” since it pertains to the taking of persons by force as a prisoner of war, usually as a concomitant of military victory.
This word is always associated in the Old Testament with warfare and violence indicating the taking of good or persons by force usually as a concomitant of military victory.
Thus, when the word is used in relation to things it means “plunder” but when in used in relation to persons as is the case here in Daniel 11:33, a better translation would be “made a prisoner of war.”
Therefore, this indicates that those who are wise in Israel and instructed the masses with regards to the Word of God will fall or be killed by captivity as a result of existing in the state of being a prisoner of war.
Daniel 11:33 “Indeed, those who are wise from the people will cause the masses to be instructed. However, for a period of time, they will be killed by the sword, by the fire, by captivity as a result of being made a prisoner of war.” (My translation)
Daniel 11:33 continues the prophecy of the war waged against Israel by Antiochus Epiphanes IV in the second century B.C.
This verse has also been fulfilled since history records that Antiochus Epiphanes IV put to death those men who were wise in Israel and instructed the rest of the citizens of the nation of Israel to resist this wicked king’s attempt to Hellenize the nation.
The Jewish men instructed the citizens of Israel to remain faithful to God by continuing to obey the 613 commands and prohibitions of the Mosaic Law.
Antiochus outlawed the Scriptures and put to death anyone who possessed a copy of them.
He put to death those who would practice circumcision or observed the Sabbath.
He put a stop to the Levitical sacrifices in the temple and substituted them with the worship of the god of the Greeks, Zeus.
These wise and brave men were put to death by the sword, by fire, by captivity as a result of being made prisoners of war.
Like Daniel 11:32, Daniel 11:33 also is a prophecy of the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes IV in the second century B.C.
Behind the Maccabean revolt were the Hasidim which means “the godly, pious, loyal ones.”
They advocated strict adherence to the Mosaic Law and the traditions of Judaism and are mentioned in 1 Maccabees 2:42, 7:13 and 2 Maccabees 14:6.
These wise men mentioned by the angel in Daniel 11:33 were in effect patriot leaders.
They exhorted the nation of Israel to repentance and commitment to the holy standards of the Mosaic Law.
They exhorted the people to continue to observe the Sabbath, and circumcision and the study of the Old Testament Scriptures, all of which were outlawed by Antiochus Epiphanes IV.
They evangelized those who were not believers in the God of Israel and those who were believers, they would instruct with the Scriptures.
Many of them gave their lives for taking this role in the nation.
1 Maccabees 1:57, 60-61, 2:31-38, 3:41, 5:13 and 2 Maccabees 6:10-11, 18-31 and 2 Maccabees record the martyrdom of these wise men in Israel.