815_Standing firm until the appointed time (Daniel 11:1–35)
Daniel 11:32-35 He shall seduce with flattery those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action. 33 And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. 34 When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, 35 and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time.
What would you do if the government prohibited the worship of God? If the scriptures were forbidden, your religious practices outlawed, and anyone who continues in them were threatened with death? Probably you would wonder how long this oppression would continue. You might question whether God had forgotten His people, whether evil had finally gained the upper hand?
For the Jewish people who lived through the persecution of Antiochus IV Epiphanes in the second century BC, these were not imaginary questions. This ruler attempted to suppress their worship. He desecrated their temple. Importantly, God had warned about this event centuries before, in Daniel’s time.
Through this prophecy, God was preparing His people to face the future with courage and faith. The message was clear: earthly powers may rise against God’s people, but their power is limited. God is always sovereign, he is king of all kings, and His purposes will be fulfilled at the appointed time.
Daniel 11:1–35 makes up one of the Bible’s most detailed prophecies. It concerns the kingdoms that emerged after the death of Alexander the Great. It describes the struggles between the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt and the Seleucid rulers of Syria, whose conflicts repeatedly affected the land of Israel. It then focuses on Antiochus IV Epiphanes, whose persecution of the Jews became a defining moment in their history.
Daniel 11:31–35 was remarkably fulfilled during the persecution under Antiochus IV Epiphanes around 167 BC. He stopped the daily sacrifices and desecrated the temple by offering a pig on the altar. Yet the faithful among God’s people refused to compromise their faith. As Daniel 11:32–33 describes, they stood firm because they knew their God and helped others understand the truth, even though many suffered persecution.
History records that Mattathias and his sons, particularly Judas Maccabeus, led a revolt against the Syrian ruler. They eventually recaptured Jerusalem, cleansed the defiled sanctuary, restored worship, and rededicated the temple in 164 BC. This event is commemorated in the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. Their courage illustrates Daniel’s message: even when evil appears to triumph, knowing God empowers his people to stand firm.
The remarkable accuracy of this prophecy reminds us that God knows the future as nobody else can. This truth shines out in Isaiah 42:22–23, where God challenges the idols to declare what is to demonstrate that they possess divine knowledge. False gods cannot reveal the future, and human beings themselves are limited in their understanding. Ecclesiastes 8:7 reminds us that no one knows what is to be or can tell us exactly how it will happen. We make plans, study circumstances, and anticipate possibilities, but the future remains largely unpredictable.
God, however, is not limited by time. Nothing that happens catches Him by surprise. The events recorded in Daniel 11 remind us that history is not merely a succession of fluctuating kingdoms and powers. Behind the rise and fall of the princes of this world, God’s purposes remain unshaken. We may not understand everything He has revealed, but we can trust the One who knows the end from the beginning.
For God does not merely know the future; rather, He exercises sovereign authority over history. Again and again, Daniel 11 refers to an appointed time. In verse 27, the plans of two kings will not succeed, because the end must come at the appointed time. In verse 29, another campaign will take place at an appointed time. And in verse 35, the suffering of the wise will continue until the time appointed by God.
For the devout who lived in the time of Antiochus, this truth was lifegiving. For he was a powerful ruler whose actions against their faith and worship must have seemed overwhelming. Yet he was not the ultimate ruler of history. His power had boundaries, even when those limits were invisible to the people suffering under him.
We see this principle throughout Scripture. In Acts 2:23, Peter declares that the death of Jesus at the hands of wicked men took place according to God’s definite plan and foreknowledge. Human rebellion cannot ultimately overthrow God’s purposes.
This truth offers unshakable hope and comfort when we suffer injustice, opposition, or prolonged suffering. We may wonder how long we need to endure pain, why God waits so long to intervene. Daniel reminds us that the apparent freedom of evil does not mean that evil is sovereign. God remains the One who governs the times and seasons.
This tells us why God revealed these things to His people: one reason is to prepare them for difficult days to come. Daniel 11:32 describes, with great power, those who refuse to abandon their faith: “the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.”
Those who remain faithful are those who know God. They may not understand the political developments of their time. They may not be able to predict everything before it happens. But they know whom they have believed, and know that he is utterly faithful, and completely able, to keep them through the worst of times. They cannot control the future, but they know who does, and they know they are His.
Just so, the Lord warned His disciples beforehand about events that would take place. In John 14:29, He said, “And now I have told you before it takes place, so that when it does take place you may believe.” The time would come when His words would come true. Then they would be strong in faith, knowing that he who knew the end from the beginning is also their God. Indeed, biblical prophecy is not given merely to satisfy our curiosity. It calls us to hope, trusting in God’s love; watchfulness lest we drift into unholiness; and perseverance through difficult times, lest we become weak in faith.
Daniel also shows us that standing firm involves more than preserving our own faith. Verse 33 says that the wise among the people would help many understand, despite undergoing persecution themselves. In a time of confusion and spiritual pressure, these faithful people would teach others the truth and encourage them to remain loyal to God.
This is something we need to learn. When people are frightened by world events, troubled by suffering, or confused about what lies ahead, they need more than predictions. They need to know God, his mercy and grace, his unbounded compassion, his longsuffering, his readiness to forgive the sincerely penitent. They need to know the assurance of his promises. We are called not only to stand firm ourselves, but also to strengthen others.
Yet this does not mean the faithful will always escape suffering. Some of the wise would fall by the sword, flame, captivity, and plunder. Sometimes standing firm costs us a lot. Sometimes it means continuing to serve God despite the lack of apparent success. And it also means we encourage others to remain faithful despite our own pain.
For none of our suffering is not outside God’s purposes. Daniel 11:35 says that some of the wise would stumble “so that they may be refined, purified, and made white.” Like precious metal being refined through fire, trials expose and burn away our dross, everything that diminishes our love for God. They deepen our dependence on God, and strengthen our faith. Every suffering need not be punishment for sin. Nor does this truth mean that the evil inflicted by persecutors is acceptable. Rather, it means that God’s purposes are worked out through suffering as well as joy.
1 Peter 1:6–7 emphasizes the same truth. Therefore, when God permits trials, we may not always understand why, but our suffering is never wasted when we undergo it with God.
Finally, Daniel points beyond the persecution of his own day to the certainty that God will bring history to its appointed conclusion. The Lord used the language of Daniel’s “abomination of desolation” in Matthew 24:15 when speaking about coming events. Christians differ in how they understand these prophecies. However, it is indisputable that the Lord warned us to remain watchful and faithful, whatever difficulties lie ahead.
This is the glorious assurance of 2 Thessalonians 1:6–7. God will bring justice upon those who afflict His people and grant relief to those who suffer when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven.
In the light of Daniel 11, let us take care not to be consumed by speculation about every world event. Neither should we allow fear of the future to weaken our obedience today. Instead, let us know our God by understanding and obeying his word of love. Let us stand firm in his love. Let us act on our faith, in joyful endurance of suffering and encouragement of those who are struggling.
We do not need to know the exact time of every future event in order to be ready for it. Let us know our God, who has appointed the times. Kingdoms of this world will rise and fall, opposition will come, and our faith will be tested. But God’s purposes will stand. Until the appointed time arrives, let us stand firm in our God and remain faithful to the end. God bless.
Take a few moments to reflect on these questions
How does the truth that God knows the future and has authority over history change the way you respond to uncertainty, injustice, and prolonged suffering?
Why does Daniel 11:32 connect standing firm with knowing God, and how can you deepen your knowledge of Him so that your faith remains strong during difficult times?
In what practical ways can you stand firm in your faith, help others understand God’s Word, and allow your present trials to refine your character?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, You know the future and Your purposes cannot be overthrown by earthly powers. We know you are in control even when we face uncertainty, opposition, and suffering. Open our eyes and our hearts to know You more deeply, so that we will stand firm and encourage others, remaining faithful until the appointed time. We thank you for our trials, which teach us to trust Your wisdom even when we cannot understand Your ways. We live in the hope of our Lord Jesus Christ’s return. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen
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