Daniel 11:34-35

We continue tracing Daniel’s prophecy of those Jews who knew their God, were strong, and did exploits. This is what I wrote about these Jews in the last installment: “A particular family of these faithful Jews was the family of Mattathias, a priest who dwelt in Modin. He had five sons named John, Simon, Judas, Eleazar, and Jonathan. They refused to bend to Antiochus’ commandments and mounted a resistance against him and his forces. This family came to be known as the Asmoneans, named so after Mattathias’ great grandfather, Asamoneus (according to Josephus).”

Daniel 11:34  Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

When the Asmoneans or Maccabees fell, they were holpen with a little help. For example, when Mattathias the priest died, his son Judas “rose up in his stead” and mounted a successful campaign against the army of Syria “with a small company.” That is, they were holpen with a little help. Here is the account from the book of Maccabees showing the fulfillment of this prophecy.

1 Maccabees 3:1  Then his son Judas, called Maccabeus, rose up in his stead.

1 Maccabees 3:13  Now when Seron, a prince of the army of Syria, heard say that Judas had gathered unto him a multitude and company of the faithful to go out with him to war;

14  He said, I will get me a name and honour in the kingdom; for I will go fight with Judas and them that are with him, who despise the king's commandment.

15  So he made him ready to go up, and there went with him a mighty host of the ungodly to help him, and to be avenged of the children of Israel.

16  And when he came near to the going up of Bethhoron, Judas went forth to meet him with a small company:

17  Who, when they saw the host coming to meet them, said unto Judas, How shall we be able, being so few, to fight against so great a multitude and so strong, seeing we are ready to faint with fasting all this day?

18  Unto whom Judas answered, It is no hard matter for many to be shut up in the hands of a few; and with the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company:

19  For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven.

20  They come against us in much pride and iniquity to destroy us, and our wives and children, and to spoil us:

21  But we fight for our lives and our laws.

22  Wherefore the Lord himself will overthrow them before our face: and as for you, be ye not afraid of them.

23  Now as soon as he had left off speaking, he leapt suddenly upon them, and so Seron and his host was overthrown before him.

However, Daniel prophesied that many clave to them with flatteries. We find a fulfillment of this prophecy also recorded in the book of the Maccabees. Two men by the name of Joseph and Azarias, captains of garrisons, upon hearing of the valiant acts of Judas Maccabeus decided to fight against the heathen as did he. But their motive was to get themselves a name.

1 Maccabees 5:55  Now what time as Judas and Jonathan were in the land of Galaad, and Simon his brother in Galilee before Ptolemais,

56  Joseph the son of Zacharias, and Azarias, captains of the garrisons, heard of the valiant acts and warlike deeds which they had done.

57  Wherefore they said, Let us also get us a name, and go fight against the heathen that are round about us.

After one battle Judas and his companions came to bury their slain kinsmen and discovered in their coats “things consecrated to the idols.”

2 Maccabees 12:39  And upon the day following, as the use had been, Judas and his company came to take up the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen in their fathers' graves.

40  Now under the coats of every one that was slain they found things consecrated to the idols of the Jamnites, which is forbidden the Jews by the law. Then every man saw that this was the cause wherefore they were slain.

And so we see that all that clave to Judas were not sincere, but were pretending allegiance to his cause. That is, they clave to them with flatteries.

Daniel goes on to predict what happened to some of the noble souls that knew their God and did exploits.

Daniel 11:35  And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.

Some of the people that knew their God and had understanding fell in battle and into captivity. Eleazar, was crushed by an elephant in battle (1Maccabees 6:46). Judas was killed in battle (1Maccabees 9:18). John, a captain of the Jews, was taken captive (1Maccabees 9:36). Tryphon, who attempted to seize the crown of Syria for himself, deceived Jonathan into accepting a truce promising him the stronghold of Ptolemais. But when Jonathan entered Ptolemais, the gates were shut about him and he was taken captive and killed (1Maccabees 12:42-48). Now all this was to try them, and to purge, and to make them white. God allows tribulation, even martyrdom, to come upon His faithful people to make them white, that is, to make them better because the best of men have that about them that requires purging and cleansing (2Timothy 2:20-21; John 15:2; James 1:2-3; 1Peter 1:7; 4:12; Revelation 2:10).

The rule of the noble family of the Maccabees extended to 37 B.C., the time of King Herod. The last Asmonean high priest was Aristobulus III, whom Herod elevated to high priest at a very young age only then to have him drowned while bathing in a pool in Jericho in 36 B.C. The Dynasty of Herod continued from that point to the destruction of Jerusalem. Hence, the dynasty of Herod brings us to the last stage of Jewish history that Daniel prophesied of, that is, the time of the end. There was yet a time appointed for these events prophesied by Daniel to transpire.