“But the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many.”—Daniel 11:32-33.  

THE uninspired book of the Maccabees is perhaps the best interpreter of this passage in Daniel. The prophet, we think, refers to the great persecution under Antiochus, when the followers of Judas Maccabaeus, knowing their God and keeping close to him amidst general defection, refused to bow before the idols of Syria; these were strong by God’s grace, and did great exploits: wonders of valour we read of in the history of Judas and his brethren, and wonders of heroic suffering never surpassed passed are recounted of the mother and sons and those other martyrs who, under tortures of the most amazing character, held fast their faith even to the end. In that age there were some who were stoned, who were sawn asunder, who felt the violence of fire, and yet were not separated from their God by all that the foe could do. We have a lesson to learn from the text before us, and we therefore leave the historical references and proceed to enter into the teaching of the text. It appears that the people who did all this were a knowing people and an understanding people. Those by whom the exploits were performed were not ignorant, but a people who did know their God; and those who helped to keep up the light of Israel in the midst of the thick darkness were not uninstructed themselves, but they were a people who did understand…

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