The Bible Says
Daniel 11:29-35 Meaning

In Daniel 11:29-35, Daniel’s angelic messenger resumes describing the turbulent career of the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes, focusing on his latter campaigns and their dire consequences for God’s people. By this point, he has already wreaked havoc in Egypt and returned north with considerable plunder. The text now depicts yet another invasion attempt and its repercussions, underscoring how divine providence shapes even the maneuvers of seemingly unstoppable tyrants.

When the prophecy says, At the appointed time he will return and come into the South, but this last time it will not turn out the way it did before (v. 29), it indicates that Antiochus IV Epiphanes sets out once more against Ptolemaic Egypt. Historically, this appointed time fell around 168 BC, shortly after Antiochus had already had some success fighting the Egyptians. Egypt was weakened by internal power struggles; however, as the verse forewarns, this last time it will not turn out like his earlier victories.

The appointed time signals God’s sovereign scheduling over world events. Much as Daniel’s previous visions revealed the times and boundaries for Babylon, Persia, and Greece (Daniel 2:21), so too was Antiochus’s repeated invasion constrained by heaven’s timeline. No empire, however ambitious, overrides the Lord’s determined counsel (Isaiah 46:9-10).

Daniel next hears, For ships of Kittim will come against him; therefore he will be disheartened and will return and become enraged at the holy covenant and take action; so he will come back and show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant (v. 30).

The ships of Kittim (v. 30) refers to the fleet of the emerging Roman Republic, arriving from the western Mediterranean. In 168 BC, Roman emissaries and warships, led by the commander Gaius Popillius Laenas, confronted Antiochus near Alexandria and effectively ordered him to abandon his siege of Egypt. Antiochus IV attempted to buy time by suggesting that he would counsel with his advisers first before giving Rome an answer.

History confirms that the Roman envoy Laenas drew a circle in the sand around Antiochus IV, demanding that he decide on the spot whether to withdraw or to defy Rome, which would result in Rome declaring war upon him. Antiochus IV relented. Humiliated, disheartened (v. 30), and recognizing he could not defeat Rome’s growing military might, Antiochus retreated north. Bruised pride fueled his enraged (v. 30) response as he passed back through Judea.

The verse’s conclusion highlights that he would show regard for those who forsake the holy covenant (v. 30). In Jerusalem, certain Hellenizing factions of Jews sought favor with the Seleucid overlords, adopting Greek customs and rejecting the Mosaic Law. Antiochus capitalized on this division, rewarding collaborators while punishing faithful Jews. Such division stresses the perennial danger of trying to gain political advantage by compromising godly principles-an issue echoed throughout Scripture whenever communities mingle devotion to God with surrender to the world’s ways (2 Corinthians 6:14-16).

The prophecy deepens with Forces from him will arise, desecrate the sanctuary fortress, and do away with the regular sacrifice. And they will set up the abomination of desolation (v. 31). Historically, this verse marks a pivotal moment in Jewish history-167 BC-when Antiochus IV’s troops attacked Jerusalem, halted the temple sacrifices, and profaned the altar. According to 1 Maccabees (an extra-biblical but historically informative source), they erected a pagan altar, possibly dedicated to Zeus, within the temple grounds.

To desecrate the sanctuary fortress (v. 31) signifies more than mere physical damage. It involved polluting the holy worship space where daily burnt offerings-the regular sacrifice-were offered. Antiochus and his forces forcibly replaced these sacrifices with rituals abhorrent to faithful Jews, including sacrificing unclean animals. This abomination of desolation (v. 31) resonates with Daniel’s earlier visions (Daniel 8:11-13) and foreshadows Jesus’s reference in Matthew 24:15, hinting at a future, ultimate abomination.

Daniel’s messenger reveals Antiochus’s manipulative strategy: By smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will display strength and take action (v. 32). On one hand, Antiochus’s smooth words (v. 32) lured many Jews into compromise. Promising wealth, status, or safety, he capitalized on human fear and ambition, persuading them to follow Hellenistic customs and renounce devotion to the Law. It was temporary convenience on the altar of breaking covenant with God.

Yet the verse shows a heroic contrast: the people who know their God will display strength and take action (v. 32). Historically, this describes those who refused Antiochus’s decrees-most famously the Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabeus. Operating from the Judean countryside around 167-160 BC, they launched a guerrilla campaign to reclaim the temple and restore proper worship. Their victories over the Seleucid armies became legendary, epitomizing faith-fueled courage (Hebrews 11:33-34).

On a deeper level, the verse illustrates a timeless principle: spiritual discernment resists smooth words that undermine fidelity to God. True strength emerges from knowing the Lord intimately (Daniel 11:32). Whether in Daniel’s era or our own, believers must remain vigilant that no earthly promise or political pressure subverts their commitment to biblical truth. Indeed, Scripture consistently calls God’s people to take action (v. 32)-not through violence or compromise, but through resolute faithfulness to His commands (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Continuing, we read, 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 (v. 33). This verse highlights how teachers and spiritual leaders within Israel took a stand. They provided understanding (v. 33), explaining the gravity of Antiochus’s desecrations, urging others to remain loyal to God’s covenant rather than yield to oppression.

Yet in the process, they will fall by sword and by flame (v. 33), showing that faithfulness often comes at great cost. Historically, the Maccabean struggle was fraught with martyrdom. Many devout Jews were executed for refusing to eat unclean foods or for practicing circumcision. The phrase by captivity and by plunder (v. 33) testifies to the waves of persecution unleashed against those who held firm to their faith. Antiochus’s forces raided towns, enslaved resistors, and seized property.

Despite such tribulations, the verse underscores that their sacrifice was not in vain. Those who have insight (v. 33) became beacons of truth in an age dominated by deceit. Even as they perished, these martyrs inspired others to remain steadfast. In the broader scope of the Old and New Testaments, their examples anticipate later believers who would likewise endure suffering for righteousness’ sake (1 Peter 4:12-14). Their willingness to die rather than forsake God’s covenant stood as a powerful testimony across the centuries.

Daniel’s prophecy next asserts, Now when they fall they will be granted a little help, and many will join with them in hypocrisy (v. 34). The phrase when they fall (v. 34) references those faithful Jews who succumbed to violence or imprisonment during the Seleucid crackdown. The little help likely alludes to small yet significant pockets of resistance that emerged-such as the Maccabees-offering hope to the persecuted. Over time, their insurgency gained traction, allowing for partial successes.

Nonetheless, the text introduces a sobering detail: many will join with them in hypocrisy (v.34). As the Maccabean movement grew, opportunists saw an avenue for personal or political gain, rather than genuine commitment to the covenant. Such “fair-weather followers” complicate revolutionary causes in every age, blending self-interest with apparently noble goals. Their inconsistent motives can later undermine the integrity of even a righteous cause.

God’s people repeatedly face the challenge of discerning genuine faith from opportunistic zeal. Scripture underscores that mere outward support does not equate to sincere devotion (Matthew 15:8-9). While the Maccabean cause indeed preserved Jewish worship, not all who joined were motivated by the same heartfelt conviction. This tension reminds modern believers to examine their hearts, ensuring that participation in God’s work stems from true devotion and not from ulterior motives.

Finally, the messenger concludes, Some of those who have insight will fall, in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time (v. 35).

While persecution resulted in immediate suffering, God’s perspective frames it as a refining process-to refine, purge and make them pure (v. 35). Trials are an opportunity for growth; they are clarifying as to what we truly value and what we’re willing to suffer for long-term gains, strengthening our core convictions, demanding action based on our beliefs, growing us up (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Historically, the Maccabean struggle and the subsequent Hasmonean dynasty (around 160-63 BC) shaped Jewish identity in profound ways. The faithful learned that devotion to God sometimes demanded personal loss and communal sacrifice. Over the following centuries-leading into Roman rule and eventually the time of Christ-this purifying experience confirmed to many that obedience and the suffering of loss, rejection, or even death is superior to personal comfort or friendship with the world.

The verse also points ahead: until the end time (v. 35). While Daniel 11 primarily addresses conflicts in the near future (the Seleucid era), it often foreshadows ultimate end-times scenarios, including future abominations and persecutions. Jesus explicitly ties these themes to the last days (Matthew 24:15). Thus, the tribulations under Antiochus IV Epiphanes become both a historical trial and a prophetic template, reminding believers that-even amidst dire oppression-God orchestrates events for His purifying purposes. His appointed time (v. 35) governs all, assuring us that suffering yields ultimately to His redemptive plan.