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Daniel 11:35
ESV 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.
NIV Some of the wise will stumble, 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.
NASB And some of those who have insight will fall, to refine, purge, and cleanse them until the end time; because it is still to come at the appointed time.
CSB Some of those who have insight will fall so that they may be refined, purified, and cleansed until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.
NLT And some of the wise will fall victim to persecution. In this way, they will be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end, for the appointed time is still to come.
KJV 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.

What does Daniel 11:35 mean?

Recent verses in this passage were recorded by the prophet Daniel (Daniel 10:1) as predictions of what is now known as the Maccabean Revolt. This occurred in response to terrible persecution under Seleucid ruler Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Daniel 11:21–34). Written in 536 BC, Daniel's prophecy has so far covered events up to the mid-second century BC. This verse serves as something of a pivot point. What comes after seems to refer to events still in the future, even today: the end times.

During the persecution of Antiochus, the faithful Jewish people suffered atrocities and the attempted erasure of their faith. In this context, those who "stumble" are those who fall into such suffering or death. Those who avoided trouble, by compromising faith in God, were not among those "wise" (Proverbs 1:7) ones who preferred loyalty to the Lord. The suffering of these committed Israelites acted like the fire of a jeweler's furnace: driving away what was impure to leave only what was precious.

Earlier, Daniel had been told that his people's misery would only last a short time (Daniel 8:14). Some interpret that reference to "2,300 evenings and mornings" to mean the roughly six years of Antiochus's oppression of Israel prior to his death. Others see it as a combination, referring to daily sacrifices, implying 1,150 days, or about three years. As Antiochus first came to Jerusalem in 170 BC, the temple was defiled in 167 BC, and Antiochus died in 164 BC, either interpretation has support from history.

While referring to the events of the second century BC, this verse also serves to transition into a discussion of the far future. Many commentators view the reign of Antiochus IV Epiphanes as a preview, foreshadowing the figure known as the Antichrist. Some of Jesus' words in the New Testament suggest a time of "tribulation" where a global dictator will put faithful believers under persecution (Matthew 24—25). As part of that prediction, Jesus looked back at Daniel's prophecy (Matthew 24:15) as a prediction of an additional series of events.

The next part of Daniel's writing appears to focus narrowly on what will happen in the last days before the final judgment. The subject abruptly switches to a "king" and his defiance against God.
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